Correspondence regarding United Kingdom Internal Market Act 2020 (UKIMA) for the Non-surgical Procedures and Functions of Medical Reviewers (Scotland) Bill: FOI release
Information request and response under the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002
Information requested
You asked for information relating to discussions with the UK government relating to the application or implications of the United Kingdom Internal Market Act 2020 (“UKIMA”) for the Non-surgical Procedures and Functions of Medical Reviewers (Scotland) Bill (“the Bill”).
Response
“Copies of any correspondence (including emails), briefing notes, meeting agendas or minutes relating to discussions between the Scottish Government and the UK Government concerning the application or implications of the United Kingdom Internal Market Act 2020 (UKIMA) for the Non-surgical Procedures and Functions of Medical Reviewers (Scotland) Bill.”
In respect of this request I enclose documents 1- 9. These documents comprise copies of emails sent between Scottish Government officials and officials in the Department for Business and Trade, Department of Health and Social Care and Cabinet Office in the UK Government, as well as attachments to those emails.
In some cases emails chains will contain a mixture of emails which may be in or out of the scope of your request, in these cases only the emails that were found to be in scope have been released, not the emails to which they replied, except where it was judged that an email that was not otherwise in scope was valuable to assist the interpretation of an email that was in scope.
Of the emails and attachments that were found to be in scope, some of the content has not been released. While our aim is to provide information whenever possible, in this instance exemptions under sections 28, 29, 30 and 38 of FOISA apply to some of the content of the emails or email attachments relating to your request. The reasons why those exemptions apply are explained in Annex A to this letter.
“The dates on which such discussions took place and the UK Government departments or bodies involved (for example, the Department for Business and Trade and/or the Department of Health and Social Care).”
In respect of this request please find a list in annex B of meetings, the dates on which they occurred and the departments or bodies involved. None of these details have been withheld under any exemptions, and this list is accurate to the best of our understanding.
“Any high-level internal summaries or briefing documents prepared for Ministers that describe the scope or substance of these discussions.”
In respect of item 3 I enclose documents 10 and 11. These documents are copies of the text of submissions provided to ministers which included matter which was in scope for your request. In each case these documents also included matter which was not in scope, and this has not been provided except where necessary to allow the material that has been provided to be understood. Some of the content of these submissions that may be in scope has also not been released: while our aim is to provide information whenever possible, in this instance exemptions under sections 28, 30 and 38 of FOISA apply to some of the content of these submissions. The reasons why those exemptions apply are explained in Annex B to this letter.
You noted that you were not seeking the disclosure of legal advice I can confirm that no legal advice has been shared as part of this release.
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.
Contact
Please quote the FOI reference
Central Correspondence Unit
Email: contactus@gov.scot
Phone: 0300 244 4000
The Scottish Government
St Andrew's House
Regent Road
Edinburgh
EH1 3DG