Correspondence from the Population Health Directorate regarding mobile drug consumption units or facilities: FOI release

Information requested

Any internal email correspondence from the Population Health Directorate since 1 January 2025 regarding mobile drug consumption units or facilities – including the possibility of using them in Scotland.

Response

In respect to your request, we have identified and enclosed copies of two internal documents received by the Population Health Directorate that reference mobile drug consumption units or facility.

While our aim is to provide information whenever possible, in this instance we are unable to provide some of the information you have requested because an exemption under section 38(1)(b) of FOISA (personal information) applies to some of the information requested because it is personal data of a third party (their full names) and disclosing it would contravene the data protection principles in Article 5(1) of the General Data Protection Regulation and in section 34(1) of the Data Protection Act 2018.

This exemption is not subject to the ‘public interest test’, so we are not required to consider if the public interest in disclosing the information outweighs the public interest in applying the exemption.

An exemption under section 30(b)(i) of FOISA (free and frank exchange of views) applies to some of the information you have requested. This exemption applies because disclosure would, or would be likely to, inhibit substantially the free and frank provision of advice. This exemption recognises the need for the Minister to have a private space within which to seek advice and views from officials before reaching a settled public position. Disclosing the content of free and frank briefing material will substantially inhibit such briefing in the future.

An exemption under section 25(1) of FOISA also applies to some of the information you have requested. This is because the information is already reasonably accessible to you. However, for ease of reference, the relevant links are provided below:

Thistle Service Data | Glasgow City Health and Social Care Partnership
Problem drug use in Scotland follow-up: Glasgow’s Safer Drug Consumption Facility

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 202500485561 - Information Released - Annex

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