Meetings discussing Deposit Return Scheme: EIR release

Information requested

You asked for “Any minutes from meetings involving Scottish Government ministers (Patrick Harvie MSP and Lorna Slater MSP) that discuss the Deposit Return Scheme, due to come into effect on August 2023, between August 2022 to December 2022”.

Response

A separate e-mail will following enclosing a copy of some of the information you requested.

An exception under regulation 11(2) of the EIRs (personal information) applies to some the information requested because it is personal data of a third party and disclosing it would contravene the data protection principles in Article 5(1) of the General Data Protection Regulation and in section 34(1) of the Data Protection Act 2018. This exception 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 exception.

An exception under regulation 10(5)(e) of the EIRs applies to some of the information you have requested. The provider of some of the information has denied consent for it to be released to the public. This exception 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 exception. We recognise that there is some public interest in release. However, this is outweighed by the need to protect the ability for confidential information to be discussed between a Minister and stakeholder and that the person did not supply the information in circumstances such that it would be made available to the public.

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.