Briefings regarding the former Chief Executive of the Scottish National Party: FOI release
Information request and response under the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002.
Information requested
1. All records of briefings provided to the Deputy First Minister or any Scottish Government Minister regarding Peter Murrell's criminal charges between January 2026 and May 2026.
2. Specifically, any records relating to a briefing on 19 February 2026 when the Lord Advocate briefed the Deputy First Minister on Peter Murrell's charges.
3. What actions, if any, were taken by the Deputy First Minister following this briefing.
4. Any correspondence between the Scottish Government and the Crown Office or Police Scotland regarding the timing of announcing Peter Murrell's charges.
Response
In relation to the first part of your request, I have enclosed some of the information that you have requested.
Please note that some of the information you have requested, namely a note from the Lord Advocate to the First Minister on 19 January 2026, can be found at: Correspondence which mentions former Chief Executive of the Scottish National Party: FOI release - gov.scot where it has been published in response to a previous FOI request. 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.
In response to the second, third and fourth parts of your request, I can advise that while our aim is to provide information whenever possible, in this instance the Scottish Government does not have the information you have requested. This is therefore a formal notice under Section 17(1) FOISA that the Scottish Government does not have the information you have requested. Having conducted appropriate and proportionate searches for information in line with your requests, the Scottish Government holds no recorded information within the scope of your request.
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.
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