Rape Crisis Scotland correspondence and meetings: FOI release

Information requested

1. When did a member of the Scottish Government last meet with a representative of Rape Crisis Scotland?
2. When did a member of the Scottish Government last meet with a representative of Edinburgh Rape Crisis Centre?
3. Any correspondence John Swinney, Kaukab Stewart or Shirley-Anne Sommerville has sent to or received from Rape Crisis Scotland in the last six months.
4. Any correspondence John Swinney, Kaukab Stewart or Shirley-Anne Somerville has sent to or received from Edinburgh Rape Crisis Centre in the last six months.

Response

In response to your first question, a member of the Scottish Government last met with a representative from Rape Crisis Scotland on 13 August 2025 in relation to the Scottish Women Rights Centre (SWRC) funding. SWRC is an innovative project which brings together the expertise of JustRight Scotland, Rape Crisis Scotland and the University of Strathclyde Law Clinic, providing legal and advocacy support for women aged 16 and over who have been affected by abuse and violence in Scotland.

In response to your second question, a member of the Scottish Government (SG) last met with a representative of Edinburgh Rape Crisis Centre (ERCC) on 16 May 2024. The purpose of the meeting was for ERCC to inform SG officials of the ERCC's intention to respond appropriately to practice concerns which might have impacted SG funding of the service following an employment tribunal decision and independent investigation.

In response to your third and fourth question, the Scottish Government does not have the information you have asked for because there has been no correspondence sent or received from John Swinney, Kaukab Stewart or Shirley-Anne Sommerville to/from Rape Crisis Scotland/Edinburgh Rape Crisis Centre in the last six months.

This is a formal notice under section 17(1) of FOISA that the Scottish Government does not have the information you have requested for the third and fourth question.

About FOI

The Scottish Government is committed to publishing all information released in response to Freedom of Information requests. View all FOI responses at https://www.gov.scot/foi-responses.