Correspondence and documentation regarding Programme for Government: FOI release

Information request and response under the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002.


Information requested

1. Could you supply all correspondence and minutes/notes of meetings between JP Marks or Joe Griffin and Scottish Government officials, about the programme for government, between March 1 2025 and June 1 2025?

2. Could you supply all documentation held about the programme for government which includes the words "affordability risks" from the same timeframe?

3. Could you supply any letters/emails written by the following people about the programme for government to the First Minister or his Cabinet Secretaries from the same timeframe:

  • Chief financial officer
  • Director of budgets and public spending

Response

I enclose a copy of most of the information you requested.

While our aim is to provide information whenever possible, in his instance we are unable to provide some of the information you have requested because an exemption(s) under section(s) s.29(1)(a) (policy formulation), s.30(b)(i) (substantial inhibition to free and frank advice s.38(1)(b) (personal information)] of FOISA applies to that information.

The material released relates to point one of your request and the Impact Assessments process which require sign off from the Permanent Secretary in his role as Primary Accountable Officer. This material contains references to both policy in development and advice to ministers which has been redacted under s.29 and s.30. Personal details have also been retracted under s.38. As the material refers to the impact assessments developed for the Programme for Governemnt 2025/26 you may find it helpful to refer to the finalised and published impact assessments which can be found here - Programme for Government 2025-26: Impact Assessments - gov.scot

No material was found in relation to point two or three of your request.

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.

FOI 202500481404 - Information released - Annex

Contact

Please quote the FOI reference
Central Correspondence Unit
Email: contactus@gov.scot
Phone: 0300 244 4000

The Scottish Government
St Andrew's House
Regent Road
Edinburgh
EH1 3DG

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