Former National Clinical Director and former Director General for Strategy and External Affairs involvement with the Scottish Government: FOI release

Information requested

Please confirm that the following two persons are no longer involved with the Scottish Government in any way whatsoever, including external consultancy, whether paid or unpaid, or any interaction in any way with current SG employee.

Persons referred to;

Jason Leitch, Former National Clinical Director

Ken Thomson a former DG at the SG, who is currently involved with the public policy unit at Glasgow University.

Response

In order to respond to your request, I have interpreted the request as covering the time period following the end of their appointments with Scottish Government. For Jason Leitch this is 30th April 2024, and for Ken Thomson 30th November 2023.

I can confirm that neither individual have received payment from the Scottish Government since the end of their assignment and are not engaged in providing consultancy services.

Ken Thomson has had contact with Scottish Government employees since leaving employment in order to participate in the Covid Inquiry, and to fulfil the requirement to inform the Advisory Committee for Business Appointments (ACOBA) of any appointments taken up after leaving the Civil Service.

Mr Thomson’s engagement with and advice from ACOBA is available externally Thomson, Ken- Director General Strategy and External Affairs, Scottish Government- ACOBA advice - GOV.UK

I am unable to provide a response on the final part of your request “any interaction in any way with current SG employee”.

While our aim is to provide information whenever possible, in this instance the costs of locating, retrieving and providing the information requested would exceed the upper cost limit of £600. A search of our internal records produced over 10,000 references to both individuals. Under section 12 of FOISA public authorities are not required to comply with a request for information if the authority estimates that the cost of complying would exceed the upper cost limit, which is currently set at £600 by Regulations made under section 12.

You may, however, wish to consider reducing the scope of your request in order that the costs can be brought below £600. This may be possible by reducing the scope to focus on interaction with particular teams or on specific subjects, you may also wish to consider a narrower timeframe. You may also find it helpful to look at the Scottish Information Commissioner's 'Tips for requesting information under FOI and the EIRs' on his website at: http://www.itspublicknowledge.info/YourRights/Tipsforrequesters.aspx.

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.