Correspondence and minutes of meetings between the Scottish Government and LGBT Youth Scotland: FOI release

Information requested

"Please provide all correspondence, including notes or minutes of meetings or phone calls, between the Scottish Government and LGBT Youth Scotland. This should cover the period from 26th August 2025 to the date of this FOI ( 8 January 2026)."

Response

I enclose a copy of the correspondence and related attachments held by the Scottish Government as requested.

While the Scottish Government's aim is to provide information whenever possible, in this instance we are unable to provide some of the information contained within the emails and attachments because of exemptions under section 29(1)(a), section 30(b)(ii), section 33(2)(b) and section 38(1)(b) (personal information).

The exemption under section 29(1)(a) of FOISA exempts information from disclosure if it relates to the formulation and development of government policy. The exemption under section 30(b)(ii) of FOISA exempts information from disclosure where it would, or would likely, cause harm to the free and frank provision of advice. The exemption under section 33(2)(b) of FOISA exempts information from disclosure it relates to the commercial interests of an individual or organisation.

The above exemptions are subject to the 'public interest test'. 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 these exemptions. We recognise that there is some public interest in release because the Scottish Government is an open and transparent government. However, this is outweighed by the fact that the topics discussed in this information are at the initial stages of planning and consideration and time to discuss and develop these policies is essential.

​​​​​​​The exemption under Section 38(1)(b) of FOISA has been applied throughout the documents as there was personal information of third parties which is exempt from disclosure. This information included people's names, contact details, and information relating to those people which could allude to their identity. 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.

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