More Homes Scotland correspondence: FOI release
Information request and response under the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002.
Information requested
1. Any correspondence (including emails, letters, phone calls, handwritten notes, WhatsApp messages or any other documents) between Scottish government officials with a rank of deputy director or higher regarding More Homes Scotland. Information should include but not be limited to a detailed timeline (with dates) of any contact between these individuals. Please provide this information between the dates of 1 November 2025 and 23 January 2026 inclusive.
2. Any correspondence (including emails, letters, phone calls, handwritten notes, WhatsApp messages or any other documents) between Scottish government officials with a rank of deputy director or higher and the office of the cabinet secretary for housing regarding More Homes Scotland. Information should include but not be limited to a detailed timeline (with dates) of any contact between these individuals. Please provide this information between the dates of 1 November 2025 and 23 January 2026 inclusive.
3. Any briefings provided to the cabinet secretary for housing on More Homes Scotland.
Response
I enclose a copy of some of the information you requested. While our aim is to provide information wherever possible, exemptions applies to some of the information you have requested.
An exemption under section 38(1)(b) of FOISA applies to some of the information you have requested because it contains personal data of a third party, i.e. the names and contact details of individuals, and disclosing it would contravene the data protection principles in Article 5(1) of the General Data Protection Regulation and in section 34(1) of the Data Protection Act 2018. 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.
In addition, exemptions under section 30(b)(ii) of FOISA also apply to some of the information you have requested. This exemption applies because disclosure would, or would be likely to, inhibit substantially the free and frank exchange of views. This recognises the need for officials to have a private space in which to conduct frank discussion. This private and safe thinking space is essential to enable all options to be properly considered based on the best available advice so that good decisions can be taken. Premature disclosure is likely to undermine the free and frank discussion of issues between Ministers and officials, which in turn will undermine the quality of the decision making process, which would not be in the public interest.
This exemption is subject to the ‘public interest test’. Therefore, 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 the exemption. We recognise that there is some public interest in release, as part of open, transparent and accountable government. However, this is outweighed by the public interest in allowing a private and safe thinking space within which officials can conduct frank discussion.
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