Transparency index

Scottish Government FOI releases

22,874releases indexed
40,876attachments found
29.5avg calendar days
8,493partially withheld
2016-06-13oldest in sample
2026-10-28newest in sample

Outcomes

partially withheld 8,493 unclear 7,447 not held 3,283 released 1,596 already published 712 cost limit 634 clarification 376 withheld 250 transferred 83

Top Exemptions

s.38(1) 5215 s.20 4475 s.34(1) 3779 s.39(2) 3631 s.30 3032 s.17(1) 2975 s.25(1) 2550 s.10(4) 2085 s.11(2) 1634 s.29(1) 1244 s.2 1242 s.3 977

Timeline

2026-10 227 2026-09 8 2026-08 299 2026-07 476 2026-06 1 2026-05 410 2026-04 312 2026-03 217

Directorate Profiles

Communications and Ministerial Support Directorate 1,334 releases · 27.8 avg days Marine Directorate 990 releases · 29.7 avg days Energy and Climate Change Directorate 969 releases · 30.8 avg days Learning Directorate 871 releases · 34.3 avg days Economic Development Directorate 741 releases · 39.6 avg days Constitution Directorate 710 releases · 35.8 avg days Population Health Directorate 676 releases · 28.6 avg days People Directorate 663 releases · 25.5 avg days
Clear
89 matching releases

Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Local Government and Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care engagements: FOI release

I am writing under the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2000 to request the full diaries of the Ministers outlined below, accounting for the past three months (15/04/2025-15/07/2025). Please outline what type of engagement it is, alongside where/with whom the engagement took place, and broadly what the theme of t...

FOI partially withheld 90 score 23 working days over deadline correspondence ministers meetings s.27(1) s.29(1) s.38(1) s.34(1) s.39(1) 2 attachments
Published
2025-10-23
Reference
FOI/202500476128
Directorate
Communications and Ministerial Support Directorate
Topic
Constitution and democracy, Public sector

Communications related to Scottish Information Commissioner decision notice: FOI release

"For thoroughness, and to eliminate any need for any investigation of the Authority under section 65 of FOISA, the Authority was invited to assist the Commissioner by requesting a voluntary affidavit from the named Special Adviser. It was requested that this clarify the named Special Adviser’s role in the redaction pro...

FOI partially withheld 90 score 20 working days correspondence ministers special advisers meetings whatsapp s.65 s.30 s.36(1) s.29(1) s.38(1) s.34(1) 2 attachments
Published
2025-09-25
Reference
FOI/202500470557
Directorate
Communications and Ministerial Support Directorate
Topic
Public sector, Work and skills

Cabinet Secretary for Education and Skills Diary engagements: FOI release

Can you provide a copy of the ministerial diary for Jenny Gilruth on April 24, 2025? Can you provide a copy of any amendments made in regards to this document? Can you provide a list of ministerial engagements scheduled for Ms Gilruth on that date? Can you also provide any emails related to Ms Gilruth's diary schedulin...

FOI partially withheld 90 score 22 working days over deadline correspondence ministers s.17(1) s.38(1) s.34(1) s.29(1) 2 attachments
Published
2025-09-17
Reference
FOI/202500463953
Directorate
Communications and Ministerial Support Directorate
Topic
Public sector, Work and skills

Cabinet Secretary for Constitution, External Affairs and Culture and Cabinet Secretary for Social Justice ministerial engagements: FOI release

I am writing under the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2000 to request the full diaries of the Ministers outlined below, accounting for the past three months (15/04/2025-15/07/2025). Please outline what type of engagement it is, alongside where/with whom the engagement took place, and broadly what the theme of t...

FOI partially withheld 90 score 23 working days over deadline correspondence ministers meetings s.27(1) s.29(1) s.38(1) s.34(1) s.39(1) 2 attachments
Published
2025-09-09
Reference
FOI/202500476125
Directorate
Communications and Ministerial Support Directorate
Topic
Constitution and democracy, Public sector

Ministerial salary increase timing and messaging records: FOI Review

Original request 202500462016 Access to records related to the timing and public messaging of the recent ministerial salary increase. Specifically: 1. **Internal Communications:** - Emails, meeting minutes, and memos between the Office of the First Minister and the Public Relations teams discussing how the timing of ...

FOI not held 70 score 21 working days over deadline correspondence ministers special advisers meetings s.2 s.25 s.17(1) s.38(1) s.29(1) s.30 s.34(1) 2 attachments
Published
2025-07-30
Reference
FOI/202500466490 Review of 202500462016
Directorate
Communications and Ministerial Support Directorate
Topic
Public sector

Ministerial salary increase timing and messaging records: FOI release

Access to records related to the timing and public messaging of the recent ministerial salary increase. Specifically: 1. **Internal Communications:** - Emails, meeting minutes, and memos between the Office of the First Minister and the Public Relations teams discussing how the timing of the announcement was chosen. - ...

FOI not held 70 score 22 working days over deadline correspondence ministers meetings spending s.2 s.25(1) s.17(1) s.29(1) s.30 s.38(1) 2 attachments
Published
2025-07-21
Reference
FOI/202500462016
Directorate
Communications and Ministerial Support Directorate
Topic
Public sector

Scottish Government request responses and use of free & frank advice exception: FOI release

In this request, when I refer to ‘free and frank advice exceptions’ I mean to refer to the application of a exemption from disclosure of requested information from a public body as an FOI or EIR request on the grounds that disclosure would inhibit the free and frank provision of advice, inhibit the free and frank excha...

FOI clarification 80 score 22 working days over deadline correspondence ministers meetings spending s.2A s.25(1) s.6(1) s.12 s.29(1) s.30 s.17(1) s.38(1) s.34(1) 2 attachments
Published
2025-07-17
Reference
FOI/202500461547
Directorate
Communications and Ministerial Support Directorate
Topic
Public sector

Former Minister for Public Health, Women's Health and Sport WhatsApp messages during the COVID-19 pandemic: FOI Review

Original request (202400395588) I wish to make a Freedom of Information Request for MSP Maree Todds WhatsApp messages from her ministeral role during the COVID-19 pandemic.

FOI partially withheld 90 score 61 working days over deadline correspondence ministers whatsapp s.37(1) s.29(1) s.30 s.36 s.38(1) s.36(1) s.34(1) 2 attachments
Published
2025-03-25
Reference
FOI/202400405863 Review of 202400395588
Directorate
Communications and Ministerial Support Directorate
Topic
Coronavirus (COVID-19) and other respiratory infections in Scotland, Public sector

Former Minister for Mental Health's WhatsApp messages during the Covid 19 pandemic: FOI Review

Original request 202400426487 MSP Claire Haughey What's App messages from her ministerial position during the Covid 19 pandemic.

FOI partially withheld 90 score 24 working days over deadline correspondence ministers whatsapp s.25(1) s.29(1) s.30 s.38(1) s.34(1) 2 attachments
Published
2025-03-25
Reference
FOI/202400430870 Review of 202400426487
Directorate
Communications and Ministerial Support Directorate
Topic
Coronavirus (COVID-19) and other respiratory infections in Scotland, Public sector

Shona Robison's Covid 19 WhatsApp messages: FOI Review

Original request 202400427831 MSP Shona Robison's What's App messages from her ministerial position during the Covid 19 pandemic.

FOI partially withheld 90 score 20 working days correspondence ministers whatsapp s.29(1) 2 attachments
Published
2025-03-25
Reference
FOI202400430842 Review of 202400427831
Directorate
Communications and Ministerial Support Directorate
Topic
Coronavirus (COVID-19) and other respiratory infections in Scotland, Public sector

Former Minister for Mental Health WhatsApp messages from February 2020 to February 2021: FOI release

1. Requesting Clare Haughey's WhatsApp messages from February 2020 to February 2021.

FOI partially withheld 90 score 17 working days correspondence ministers whatsapp s.29(1) s.30 s.38(1) s.34(1) 2 attachments
Published
2025-03-25
Reference
FOI/202400438990
Directorate
Communications and Ministerial Support Directorate
Topic
Coronavirus (COVID-19) and other respiratory infections in Scotland, Public sector

Mairi McAllan's WhatsApp messages during the Covid-19 pandemic: FOI Review

Original request: 202400435281 You asked for Mairi McAllan's WhatsApp messages from the Covid 19 pandemic.

FOI partially withheld 90 score 78 working days over deadline correspondence ministers whatsapp s.29(1) s.30 s.38(1) s.34(1) 2 attachments
Published
2025-03-25
Reference
FOI/202400436608 Review of 202400435281
Directorate
Communications and Ministerial Support Directorate
Topic
Health and social care, Public sector

Eid Mubarak celebration at Edinburgh Castle: FOI release

Correspondence held by the Scottish Government, including all sent/received and internal, briefing notes, minutes/notes from meetings, about the Eid Mubarak celebration at Edinburgh Castle, funded by the government, between April 1 and May 1 2024.

FOI partially withheld 90 score 120 working days over deadline correspondence ministers briefings meetings s.25(1) s.38(1) s.29(1) s.30 s.32(1) 2 attachments
Published
2025-03-18
Reference
FOI/202400432000
Directorate
Communications and Ministerial Support Directorate
Topic
International, Public sector

Access to Information Rights in Scotland: FOI release

You set your request in context by referencing the Scottish Government’s response to the Access to Information Rights in Scotland consultation: Access to Information Rights in Scotland Response to analysis of consultation responses published in November 2023, noting the following commitments made by the Scottish Govern...

FOI not held 70 score 20 working days correspondence ministers meetings s.4 s.6 s.17(1) s.38(1) s.36(1) s.29(1) 4 attachments
Published
2025-03-18
Reference
FOI/202500450915
Directorate
Communications and Ministerial Support Directorate
Topic
Law and order, Public sector

Appointment of Independent Advisers on the Scottish Ministerial Code: FOI release

1. Following the appointment of new independent ministerial code advisers, whether the Scottish Government opened up applications to the public for the position of independent adviser on the ministerial code. If so, how many applicants were there for the position? 2. If not, how many people were interviewed for the po...

FOI partially withheld 90 score 24 working days over deadline correspondence ministers briefings s.17(1) s.29(1) s.30 s.38(1) s.34(1) 2 attachments
Published
2025-01-28
Reference
FOI/202400445249
Directorate
Communications and Ministerial Support Directorate
Topic
Public sector

Materials for the Scottish Government's public Ayr Cabinet Meeting: FOI release

Full minutes/briefings written for the Scottish Government's public Ayr Cabinet Meeting on November 4.

FOI partially withheld 90 score 23 working days over deadline correspondence ministers briefings meetings s.29(1) s.30 s.38(1) s.34(1) 2 attachments
Published
2025-01-21
Reference
FOI/202400442735
Directorate
Communications and Ministerial Support Directorate
Topic
Communities and third sector, Public sector

MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife correspondence: FOI release

All correspondence between Scottish Government Ministers and Mark Ruskell since 8 May 2024.

FOI partially withheld 90 score 21 working days over deadline correspondence ministers s.38 s.29(1) s.38(1) 2 attachments
Published
2025-01-17
Reference
FOI/202400440035
Directorate
Communications and Ministerial Support Directorate
Topic
Public sector

Redactions in WhatsAPP/text message documents: FOI Appeal

1. Please add to the released document all the "out of scope" redactions as the overall information is impossible to digest without their inclusion (86 out of scope redactions in 106 pages) 2. There are about 900 redacted text sections in the 106 pages released. It is unclear how many words, sentences, etc have been u...

FOI partially withheld 90 score 114 working days over deadline correspondence ministers meetings whatsapp s.29(1) s.30 2 attachments
Published
2024-11-25
Reference
FOI/202400410703 - Appeal
Directorate
Communications and Ministerial Support Directorate
Topic
Constitution and democracy, Public sector

Former Cabinet Secretary for Finance WhatsApp messages from ministerial position during the Covid 19 pandemic: FOI Review

Orginal Request 202400422240 ‘MSP Kate Forbes’ WhatsApp messages from her ministerial role during the COVID-19 pandemic’.

FOI partially withheld 90 score 22 working days over deadline correspondence ministers whatsapp s.28(1) s.29(1) s.30 s.38(1) s.34(1) 2 attachments
Published
2024-11-01
Reference
FOI/202400426539 Review of 202400422240
Directorate
Communications and Ministerial Support Directorate
Topic
Public sector

Guidance for briefings for each Scottish Government Minister: FOI release

The guidance and templates for briefings for every Scottish Government Minister currently in post.

FOI partially withheld 90 score 19 working days correspondence ministers briefings s.29(1) 2 attachments
Published
2024-10-31
Reference
FOI/202400432765
Directorate
Communications and Ministerial Support Directorate
Topic
Constitution and democracy, Public sector

Media bids for Minister for Veterans and the Minister for Higher and Further Education: FOI release

Details of all the media bids for Graeme Dey since his appointment Minister for Higher and Further Education and Minister for Veterans; Can you indicate if those media bids were successful or unsuccessful? Can you also release all correspondence about media bids?

FOI partially withheld 90 score 18 working days correspondence ministers s.38(1) s.30 s.29(1) s.29 4 attachments
Published
2024-10-21
Reference
FOI/202400431940
Directorate
Communications and Ministerial Support Directorate
Topic
Public sector