Scottish Minister media training: FOI release

Information requested

Please confirm all media training, voice coaching, public speaking coaching or presentational training provided to Scottish Government ministers in each of the last five full financial years, including 2025-26 to date. In each individual case, please confirm which minister received the training, how much it cost, who the provider was and what was the reason for the training being provided?

Response

Some of the information requested is publicly available from https://www.gov.scot/publications/foi-202200309585/, which covers from 2018 to July 2022. 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 listed, then please contact me again and I will send you a paper copy.

Following a search of Scottish Government corporate systems, including ERDM and Outlook, the following information has been identified relating to media training:

• 22 May 2024 - Minister for Housing
• 22 April 2024 - Minister for Green Skills, Circular Economy and Biodiversity
• 19 April 2024 - Minister for Public Health & Women's Health
• 5 March 2024 - Minister for Culture, Europe and International Development
• 27 February 2024 - Minister for Agriculture and Connectivity
• 24 January 2024 - Minister for Equalities, Migration & Refugees
• 14 November 2023 - Minister for Children, Young People & Keeping the Promise
• 8 June 2023 - Minister for Equalities, Migration & Refugees
• 7 June 2023 - Minister for Parliamentary Business
• 6 June 2023 - Minister for Public Health & Women's Health
• 24 May 2023 - Minister for Green Skills, Circular Economy and Biodiversity
• 17 May 2023 - Minister for Local Government Empowerment and Planning
• 17 May 2023 - Minister for Community Wealth and Public Finance
• 17 May 2023 - Minister for Housing
• 10 May 2023 - Minister for Victims & Community Safety

Media training offers Ministers and civil servants skills to represent the Scottish Government professionally and effectively in media appearances. Since 2016, all media training for Ministers has been provided by Scottish Government Communications Division staff at no additional cost.

While our aim is to provide information whenever possible, in this instance the Scottish Government does not hold the information regarding the reason the media training was being provided. This is a formal notice under section 17(1) of FOISA that the Scottish Government does not have the information you have requested.

While our aim is to provide information whenever possible, in this instance the Scottish Government does not hold any information relating to Scottish Ministers undertaking voice coaching, public speaking coaching or presentational training in each of the last five full financial years, including 2025-26 to date.

This is a formal notice under section 17(1) of FOISA that the Scottish Government does not have the information you have requested.

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.