Approval from the Permanent Secretary for Civil Servants to attend meetings: FOI release

Information requested

Did the two Scottish Government officials who participated in the 12th October meeting have the approval of the Permanent Secretary to do so?

Given that the 12th October meeting was about a policy which was announced the very next day in John Swinney's speech to the SNP conference, please provide any information held by the Scottish Government which explains how the meeting involved "essential departmental business unconnected with the conference.

Response

The UK guidance’s requirement for a justification that the presence of Civil Servants requires advance approval from the Permanent Secretary does not apply on this occasion. This is because the civil servants in question did not attend the conference - the meeting was held on Microsoft Teams.

The meeting you refer to represented essential Government business in a period when active negotiations were underway with regards to the Scottish General Practice Committee’s dispute with Scottish Government on core investment in General Practice. Official business continues even when party conferences are underway.

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