Briefings and correspondence for the First Minister's visit to Zambia and Malawi: FOI release

Information requested

1. Any briefings provided to the First Minister ahead of the visit.

2. Any correspondence (including emails, letters, phone calls, handwritten notes, WhatsApp messages or any other documents) between the office of the First Minister and Zambian Government Officials regarding the visit. Information should include but not be limited to a detailed timeline (with dates) of any contact between these individuals. Please provide this information between the dates of 1 July 2025 and 21 October 2025 inclusive.

3. Any correspondence (including emails, letters, phone calls, handwritten notes, WhatsApp messages or any other documents) between the office of the First Minister and Malawi Government Officials regarding the visit. Information should include but not be limited to a detailed timeline (with dates) of any contact between these individuals. Please provide this information between the dates of 1 July 2025 and 21 October 2025 inclusive.

4. Any correspondence (including emails, letters, phone calls, handwritten notes, WhatsApp messages or any other documents) between the office of the First Minister and any Scottish Government official with a rank of deputy director or higher regarding the visit. Information should include but not be limited to a detailed timeline (with dates) of any contact between these individuals. Please provide this information between the dates of 1 July 2025 and 21 October 2025 inclusive.

5. Any correspondence (including emails, letters, phone calls, handwritten notes, WhatsApp messages or any other documents) between Scottish Government officials with a rank of deputy director or higher regarding the visit. Information should include but not be limited to a detailedtimeline (with dates) of any contact between these individuals. Please provide this information between the dates of 1 July 2025 and 21 October 2025 inclusive.

Response

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

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 exemptions under sections s.29(1)(a) (policy formulation), s.38(1)(b) (personal information), 30(b)(i) (substantial inhibition to free and frank provision of advice), 30(b)(ii) (substantial inhibition to free and frank exchange of views), 32(1)(a) (substantial prejudice to international relations), 39(1) (endangerment to health or safety) and 41(a) (communications with the Royal Family and honours) of FOISA apply to that information. The reasons why those exemptions apply are explained below.

Exemptions under sections s.29, s.30, s.32, s.39 and s.41 of FOISA apply to some of the information you have requested. This is because the information requested contains unpublished policy development, deliberation and the exchange of views in order to provide advice and guidance to the First Minister and/or senior officials, sensitive information relating to relations between the UK/Scotland and other countries, information in relation to the First Minister's security and travel, and communications with the Royal Family on matters of protocol respectively. Release of such information would likely cause substantial inhibition to the development of policy and provision of advice, substantial prejudice to relations with other countries, endangerment of the physical or mental health or safety of an individual and inhibit communications with the Royal Family on matters of protocol.

These exemptions are subject to the 'public interest test'. Therefore, taking account of all the circumstances of this case, we have considered if the public interest in disclosing the information outweighs the public interest in applying the exemption. We have found that, on balance, the public interest lies in favour of upholding the exemption. We recognise that there is some public interest in release because of interest in the Scottish Government international work. However, this is outweighed by the public interest in officials being able to develop policy, the effective conduct of public affairs, Scotland maintaining strong relations with other countries, the safety of the First Minister and government maintaining good relations between the Scottish Government and the Royal Household.

Exemptions under section s.38(1) of FOISA apply to some of the information you have requested. This is because the information contains personal data. 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.

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FOI - 202500490069 - Information released - Annex A

File type

PDF

File size

1.8 MB