Handling of FOI202300342535: FOI release

Information requested

Can you please tell me how the following comments were allowed in the response to this FOI, who was it that submitted the response and all correspondences between the FOI office and Scottish Government and within the Scottish Government which led to this response.

• "Given the limited levers available to us, the Scottish Government will continue to press the UK Government to act on the cost of living and energy prices, in order to address the problem at source."
• "Our settlements from the UK Government have suffered a decade of austerity. In the most challenging budget settlement since devolution"

Response

The answer to your question is that the above quoted extract taken from FOI request 202300342535 is factual information that aided in responding to the query.

Whilst we understand that you feel the response was political, it is factual that The Scottish Government have limited devolved powers and therefore limited levers to act on the cost of living and energy price crisis.

It is also factual that UK Government fiscal policy ultimately leads to the current Scottish Government budget settlement being challenging.

In relation to your request for correspondence, I enclose a copy of all of the information you requested.

While our aim is to provide information whenever possible, in this instance we are unable to provide some of the information you have requested because an exemption under sections S.38(1)(b) Personal Information of FOISA applies to some of the information you have requested. These exemptions prevents us releasing the personal information of officials who are below the rank of Senior Civil Servant.

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 http://www.gov.scot/foi-responses.

FOI202300384221 - Information released

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4 page PDF

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183.8 kB