Ministerial representation at Scotland’s Offshore Wind and Clean Energy Technologies programme at Expo Osaka in Japan: EIR release

Information requested

1. When was the Scottish Government first approached regarding Ministerial attendance atScotland’s Offshore Wind and Clean Energy Technologies programme at Expo Osaka in Japan in September 2025?

2. When was the Scottish Government first approached regarding Gillian Martin’s specific attendance at Scotland’s Offshore Wind and Clean Energy Technologies programme at Expo Osaka in Japan in September 2025?

3. When was the request for Gillian Martin to visit Japan:
a) Lodged?
b) Approved?
c) Who approved this request?

4. What is the Scottish Government’s process when they are approached regarding Ministerial representation:
a) In the UK?
b) Abroad?

Response

As the information you have requested is 'environmental information' for the purposes of the Environmental Information (Scotland) Regulations 2004 (EIRs), we are required to deal with your request under those Regulations. We are applying the exemption at section 39(2) of the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002 (FOISA), so that we do not also have to deal with your request under FOISA.

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, because there is no public interest in dealing with the same request under two different regimes. This is essentially a technical point and has no material effect on the outcome of your request.

In response to questions 1,2 & 3 I can confirm that in accordance with the Bureau International des Expositions (BIE), rules Scotland's participation at a world Expo can only happen by invitation from the national member state, in this case the UK Government. The UK's Department for Business and Trade led on the UK Pavilion at Expo Osaka and invited Scotland's participation as a sponsoring partner. Delivery and development of Scotland’s programmes for Expo Osaka 2025 was led by the Scottish Government's Directorate for International Trade (DITI), which included pre-empting ministerial engagement for each themed event. As you are aware, the attendance of the Minister of Business, the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care and the Cabinet Secretary for Climate Action and Energy was sought from and approved in principle by the First Minister on 11 February 2025, subject to approval closer to the time of the September event by the Minister for Parliamentary Business and the Cabinet Secretary for Constitution and External Affairs. In line with Ministerial Travel Policy requirements, approval for the Cabinet Secretary for Climate Action and Energy to travel to Japan in September was lodged on 28 August and approved by the Cabinet Secretary for the Constitution, External Affairs and Culture on the same date. The Minister for Parliamentary Business then gave approval for the Cabinet Secretary to be slipped from Parliament on 3 September, at which point providing confirmation of approval to travel.

In response to question 4, general external requests or invitations for Ministerial representation are received and processed by our Central Correspondence Unit. These are usually lodged on our MiCase system and assigned to relevant policy officials based on the subject of the request. Officials thereafter provide advice and recommendations to Ministers before a written response is issued. In line with Ministerial Travel Policy all Ministerial travel for representation internationally or “abroad” is approved by the Cabinet Secretary for the Constitution, External Affairs and Culture and approval of the Minister for Parliamentary Business to be absent for any purpose when Parliament is sitting.

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