Retention and access to corporate mobile phone call logs: FOI release

Information requested

A variety of questions relating to Scottish Government access and retention to corporate mobile phone call logs.

The questions are listed below with the responses directly below each numbered item.

Response

1. Under the corporate mobile phone contract with Vodafone, how long do the organisation retain, or have access to, detailed call logs, including numbers dialled, date, time and associated costs, for all issued contracts/devices.

Detailed call and usage data is held in the Vodafone portal we have access to for 12 months.

2. Following the expiry of the 12-month retention period outlined in RIPA, does the Scottish Government retain call logs in its corporate records system.

We do not retain a copy of the call logs in our corporate records system.

3. Do the Scottish Government retain call logs on its own systems, or are they accessed through a supplier portal.

We do not retain a copy of the call logs in own our systems. Call logs are accessed through a supplier portal.

4. Does the Scottish Government treat phone calls as transitionary and therefore do not retain records, after one year, other than those that are stored to the corporate record as a note of official business.

In line with our published Records Management Policy Scottish Government employees are required to store a note of any telephone conversations which relate to government business in our electronic Record and Document Management system. Detail on retention of documents and information within Scottish Government can be found in the attached link to our published policy.

5. Does the organisation use summary billing as a norm?

Summary billing data is validated and used for the payment of Vodafone invoices. We also use individual charges associated with a number to recharge the cost of the mobile to individual business areas.

6. Does the Scottish Government hold all call records for the period in which Omicron restrictions were active?

No, detailed data is held in the Vodafone portal we have access to for 12 months.

7. Did the Scottish Government provide any call records to the COVID-19 enquiry?

Scottish Government did not provide any call records to either the Scottish or UK Covid-19 Inquiries.

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.