Results from pandemic exercise Pegasus: FOI Review

Information requested

Original request: 202600515495

The results or any other associated documentation of the Exercise Pegasus event which was carried out Autumn 2025?

https://www.gov.scot/publications/uk-covid-19-inquiry-module-1-report-scottish-government-progress-update-july-2025/pages/7/

Response

Further to my letter of 28 April 2026, I have now completed my review of our failure to respond to your request under the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002 (FOISA) for:

Can you tell me of the results or any other associated documentation of the Exercise Pegasus event which was carried out Autumn 2025?

https://www.gov.scot/publications/uk-covid-19-inquiry-module-1-report-scottish-government-progress-update-july-2025/pages/7/

In accordance with section 21(4) of FOISA, I have also reached a decision on your request. I’d like to apologise once again for the delay in responding to you. This was due to an administrative error that delayed allocation of the case to the appropriate business area. We take responding on time to requests seriously and consistently respond to over 95% of requests within statutory timescales. 

During Autumn 2025, the Scottish Government participated in the UK-wide tier 1 pandemic exercise, Exercise Pegasus. This exercise was designed to rigorously test the UK and Devolved Government’s responses to a future pandemic caused by a novel infectious disease. Exercise Pegasus took place over three phases, corresponding to the three phases of a pandemic – emergence, containment, and response. A fourth phase of Exercise Pegasus is planned to be exercised in June 2026. On conclusion of the exercise, a full report of findings from Exercise Pegasus is due to be published in the winter of 2026.

An exemption under section 30(c) of FOISA (prejudice to effective conduct of public affairs) applies to the information that falls within the scope of your request. Disclosing this information would substantially prejudice our ability to conduct Exercise Pegasus and the evaluation of this. This is because there is prejudice to the effective continuation of the exercise if the preliminary, draft findings of the evaluation are released while the exercise and analysis are still ongoing. This would constitute substantial prejudice to the effective conduct of public affairs in terms of the exemption.

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 a public interest in disclosing information as part of open, transparent and accountable government. However, there is a greater public interest in protecting the integrity of Exercise Pegasus, a tier 1 exercise designed to test the UK and Devolved Government’s preparedness and response to a future pandemic, and in ensuring the UK and Scottish Government are able to participate in this effectively. Both the UK and Scottish Government have committed to publishing the evaluation reports of Exercise Pegasus in the winter 2026, once complete. Scottish Ministers have also committed to keeping the public and the Scottish Parliament updated regarding development and outcomes arising from Exercise Pegasus.

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.