Publication - FOI/EIR release

Local council responses to plans to introduce a National Care Service: FOI release

Published: 9 January 2024
Directorate: Social Care and National Care Service Development
Topic: Public sector
FOI reference: 202200321330
Date received: 21 September 2022
Date responded: 19 October 2022

Information request and response under the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002.

Information requested

Local council responses to the Scottish Government’s plans to introduce a National Care Service, outlining for each council whether they accepted or rejected the legislation, their reasons for doing so, and any recommendations they have made regarding the Bill.

Response

I enclose a copy of some of the information you requested.

Local council responses to the Scottish Government’s plans to introduce a NCS are in the public domain, as these were published following the National Care Service consultation. These can be found here.

Additionally, please find attached notes from a meeting of Islands Local Authorities in March 2022.

While our aim is to provide information whenever possible, in this instance we are unable to provide all the information you have requested because an exemption under section 38(1)(b) of FOISA (personal information) has been applied to the information requested. This is because it is personal data of a third party and disclosing it would contravene the data protection principles in Schedule 1 to the Data Protection Act 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. Furthermore, some of the information contained above is out of scope and has therefore been redacted.

Further, please find attached the following:

A letter from Shetland Islands Council to the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care.
A letter from Shetland Islands Council to the Minister for Mental Wellbeing and Social Care.
A letter from East Ayrshire Council to the Minister for Mental Wellbeing and Social Care.
A further letter from East Ayrshire Council to the Minister for Mental Wellbeing and Social Care. The copy of the submission referenced in this letter is in the public domain and can be found via the link provided below.
A letter from East Dunbartonshire Council to the First Minister.
A letter from Orkney Islands Council to the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care.

In terms of local councils’ responses to the legislation and recommendations they have made regarding the Bill, the Scottish Government does not hold this information. However, it may be helpful to know that the Scottish Parliament conducted a call for views on the National Care Service (Scotland) Bill, and published responses to this can be viewed on the Scottish Parliament website.

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.