Administrative records and metadata of Principal Private Secretary for the First Minister communication: FOI release

Information requested

I am requesting factual, administrative records held by the Scottish Government relating to the text message received by the Principal Private Secretary for the First Minister John Webster on 30 April 2026 at 19:32, as referenced in the official transcription note.

For clarity, I am not requesting any content of communications, personal data, advice, policy discussions, or anything that would engage exemptions relating to “free and frank advice”, “international relations”, or security. I am requesting only administrative records and metadata necessary to verify the handling and timeline of the message.

1. Message metadata

• Please provide the metadata for the message received at 19:32 on 30 April 2026, including:
  • the timestamp of receipt
  • the message type (SMS, iMessage, WhatsApp, etc.)
  • the originating country code
  • the device on which it was received (official or personal)

Additionally, please provide any administrative record or metadata of any outgoing communications from the Principal Private Secretary or the First Minister’s Private Office to the same contact or number on 30 April 2026, including timestamps, message type, and device used. I am not requesting content only metadata.

2. Administrative log entry

• Please provide the administrative log entry created by the Principal Private Secretary recording receipt of the message, including:
  • the timestamp of the log entry
  • the classification or category applied (e.g., routine, diplomatic, etc.)

3. Record of informing the First Minister

• Please provide any administrative record showing when and how the message was passed to the First Minister, including:
  • the timestamp of the forwarding action
  • the method used (email, SMS, WhatsApp, Teams, in-person note, etc.)

I am not requesting the content of any communication only the existence, timing, and method of the action.

4. Circulation of the transcription note

• Please provide any administrative record of the circulation of the transcription note, including:
  • the timestamp of circulation
  • the subject line used
  • the roles (not names) of recipients

5. Earlier or draft versions of the transcription note

• Please provide any earlier or draft versions of the transcription note created for the official record. If any of the above information is not held, please confirm this explicitly and specify which part is not held.

Response

Question 1:

The timestamp of receipt of the message was 19:32.

The message was received on WhatsApp.

The originating country code was United States of America (+1).

The message was received on a personal device.

Two messages were sent from the Principal Private Secretary to the same contact on 30 April 2026. One was sent at 20:41; the other was sent at 21:27. Both were WhatsApp messages sent from a personal device.

Question 2:

The message was entered into the Scottish Government system by email on 1st May 2026 at 10:21.

With regards to the classification of the category applied, this is a formal notice under Section 17(1) of FOISA that the Scottish Government does not have the information you have requested. While our aim is to provide information whenever possible, in this instance the Scottish Government does not hold the information you have requested because this email was not given a classification or category. However, when uploaded to the Scottish Government’s digital records management system, the email was classified as OFFICIAL.

Question 3:

The message was passed to the First Minister by his Principal Private Secretary in a verbal update. The message was then transcribed into an email with the subject line of “Message from POTUS” and shared with the First Minister’s Private Office on 1st May 2026 at 10:21 for record management purposes.

Question 4:

The transcription note was originally sent to the First Minister’s Private Office on 1st May 2026 at 10:21, with the subject line of “Message from POTUS”. The email was cc’d to the Permanent Secretary, the Director General Communities and External Affairs, the Director – EU Directorate, the Director – Directorate for International Trade and Investment, the Director-General Economy, and the Cabinet Secretary for Constitution, External Affairs and Culture.

Question 5:

This is a formal notice under Section 17(1) of FOISA that the Scottish Government does not have the information you have requested. While our aim is to provide information whenever possible, in this instance the Scottish Government does not hold the information you have requested because no previous draft of the transcription note was created.

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.