Correspondence regarding child grooming inquiry and court case between Scottish Government and For Women Scotland: FOI release

Information requested

You asked for all correspondence received by the Scottish Government about an inquiry into child grooming, since September 10 2025, and all internal correspondence and discussions about the Scottish Government commenting on the court case between the Scottish Government and For Women Scotland about trans prisoners in Scottish prisons.

Response

I enclose a copy of some of the information you requested. Some of the information you have requested is available from a response to a previous Freedom of Information request on the Scottish Government website, which can be found here: Professor Alexis Jay correspondence with the Scottish Government: FOI release - gov.scot. Under section 25(1) of FOISA, we do not have to give you information which is already reasonably accessible to you. If, however, you do not have internet access to obtain this information from the website(s) listed, then please contact me again and I will send you a paper copy.

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 exemption(s) under s.38(1)(b) (personal information) of FOISA applies to this information. This exemption relates to personal information and specifically the personal data of third parties. 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.

We are also unable to provide some of the information you have requested as the costs of locating, retrieving and providing the information requested would exceed the upper cost limit of £600. This is due to the volume of information that was identified in the initial searches of our corporate systems. 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 achieved by providing a more specific request regarding the information you are looking for. For your awareness, due to the nature of the information you have requested, it is likely that a substantial amount of the correspondence will be subject to more than one FOISA exemption, including section 36(1) - ‘it is information in respect of which a claim to confidentiality of communications could be maintained in legal proceedings (for example, if information is "legal privileged") which the Scottish Government will have to adhere to. Being specific about the information you are seeking may enable us to provide what you are looking for, and will likely reduce the application of such exemptions.

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.

FOI 202500495657 - Information Release - Documentation

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