Cabinet Secretary for Justice and Home Affairs Brussels trip documentation: FOI release

Information requested

• Could you supply all documentation seen by John Swinney or his office about Angela Constance's trip to Brussels on November 19? When was John Swinney made aware of Ms Constance heading to Brussels on that date?
• Could you supply all documentation held by the Scottish Government, including correspondence sent and received, minutes/notes from meetings, briefings and analysis, about Angela Constance's trip to Brussels on November 19, between October 15 2025 and the date of this FOI?

Response

I enclose a copy of correspondence informing the First Minister about the visit (document 1), briefing prepared for the visit (document 2) and notes from Ms Constance’s meetings in Brussels (document 3), attached.

Please note regarding your request for all correspondence concerning the visit, that the Scottish Government does not store every routine item of correspondence about Ministerial visits.

While our aim is to provide information whenever possible, in this instance, document searches and sample sifting exercises indicate that the cost of locating, retrieving and providing all items of correspondence that relate to the visit would exceed the upper cost limit of £600. 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.

Exemptions under sections 30(b)(i), and 38(1)(b) of FOISA apply to some of the information you have requested. Section 30(b)(i) relates to the free and frank provision of advice. In this instance, briefings for First Ministers Questions are subject to this exemption and content taken from these notes that were included as part of the Cabinet Secretary’s briefing pack have been redacted. Section 38(1)(b) of FOISA relates to personal information. In this instance, contact information, the names of civil servants below Deputy Director grade and of officials from external organisations of equivalent seniority have been redacted.

Section 38(1)(b) 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. 30(b)(i) is 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.

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FOI 202500495530 - Information released - Documents

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