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
456 matching releases

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

Correspondence on the death of former First Minister Alex Salmond: FOI release

1. A copy of all emails of staff members of the First Minister’s office that refer to the news of Alex Salmond’s death. The time range of this request is Saturday 12th October to Monday 14th October. Staff members refers to all workers recognised as working directly for the First Minister. All emails means emails se...

FOI partially withheld 90 score 20 working days correspondence ministers briefings s.38(1) s.30 s.28(1) s.39(1) s.34(1) s.2 s.17(1) 2 attachments
Published
2024-11-20
Reference
FOI/202400436164
Directorate
Communications and Ministerial Support Directorate
Topic
Public sector

Correspondence regarding Scottish Labour leader comments on Housing Minister: FOI release

All correspondence (including emails) since 24 September in relation to the topic of Labour leader Anas Sarwar calling for Paul McLennan to be sacked from his role as Housing Minister.

FOI partially withheld 90 score 13 working days correspondence ministers s.30 s.38(1) 2 attachments
Published
2024-11-20
Reference
FOI/202400436871
Directorate
Communications and Ministerial Support Directorate
Topic
Constitution and democracy, Public sector

Correspondence mentioning ‘Oasis’ or ‘Oasis tickets’: FOI Review

Orginal Request 202400430224 A copy of all emails in the inbox of any of the Scottish Government Cabinet Secretaries in which ‘Oasis’ or ‘Oasis tickets’ is mentioned. You can search this by putting those words into the search box bit. Do this for each cabinet secretary. The time frame for this would be 25th August to ...

FOI partially withheld 90 score 14 working days correspondence ministers briefings s.38(1) 2 attachments
Published
2024-11-14
Reference
FOI 202400436053 Review of 202400430224
Directorate
Communications and Ministerial Support Directorate
Topic
Arts, culture and sport, 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

Former First Minister WhatsApp messages during Covid-19 pandemic: FOI release

Humza Yousaf's WhatsApp messages during the Covid 19 pandemic.

FOI partially withheld 90 score 39 working days over deadline correspondence ministers meetings whatsapp s.25(1) s.38(1) s.28 2 attachments
Published
2024-11-01
Reference
FOI/202400425739
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

Correspondence from senior civil servants including specified phrases: FOI release

‘Between 23 April and 1 June 2024, any e-mails or correspondence from senior civil servants including the phrase “SNP leadership contest”, “SNP leadership”, “leadership contest” or “leadership race”.’

FOI partially withheld 90 score 20 working days correspondence ministers s.30 s.38(1) 2 attachments
Published
2024-10-23
Reference
FOI/202400432062
Directorate
Communications and Ministerial Support Directorate
Topic
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

Communications between the Scottish Government and UK monarchy: FOI release

Please share any communications exchanged between the government and the UK monarchy or their representatives from 21 February 2023 to the present date, which relate to: Laws and Legislation The Crown Estate Property or assets owned by the monarchy Crown consent Carbon emissions Deer Please include all communication ...

FOI partially withheld 90 score 16 working days correspondence ministers whatsapp s.25(1) s.38(1) s.34(1) s.41 2 attachments
Published
2024-10-16
Reference
FOI/202400431736
Directorate
Communications and Ministerial Support Directorate
Topic
Public sector, Work and skills

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

Original request 202400427867 MSP Mairi Gougeon's What's App messages from her Ministerial position during the Covid 19 pandemic.

FOI partially withheld 90 score 19 working days correspondence ministers whatsapp s.29(1) s.38(1) s.34(1) 2 attachments
Published
2024-10-15
Reference
FOI/202400432336 Review of 202400427867
Directorate
Communications and Ministerial Support Directorate
Topic
Coronavirus (COVID-19) and other respiratory infections in Scotland, Public sector

BBC complaints documentation: FOI release

All documentation held, including correspondence (internal as well), minutes/notes from meetings, about complaints to BBC and BBC Scotland about articles or news broadcasts, from the last three months.

FOI partially withheld 90 score 19 working days correspondence meetings s.38(1) s.38 2 attachments
Published
2024-10-11
Reference
FOI/202400429954
Directorate
Communications and Ministerial Support Directorate
Topic
Public sector

Press release for drug misuse death statistics: FOI release

The first draft of the press release where Neil Gray comments on the drug misuse deaths statistics for 2023 and all subsequent drafts until the final version was approved and sent. Please provide the full correspondence starting from the date on which the first draft was written, include all comments and feedback from...

FOI partially withheld 90 score 20 working days correspondence s.38(1) 2 attachments
Published
2024-10-10
Reference
FOI/202400429362
Directorate
Communications and Ministerial Support Directorate
Topic
Health and social care, Public sector

Censorship of consultation responses: FOI release

Responses to the following Government consultation have blocks of text replaced with "Redacted text": https://consult.gov.scot/energy-and-climate-change-directorate/scottish-climate- adaptationplan/consultation/published_select_respondentshow_all_questions=0&sort=submitted&order=ascending&_q__text=redacted 1) Policie...

FOI partially withheld 90 score 13 working days correspondence s.4 s.17(1) 2 attachments
Published
2024-10-09
Reference
FOI/202400430514
Directorate
Communications and Ministerial Support Directorate
Topic
Public sector

Law Society of Scotland: FOI release

An explanation as to ‘why the Law Society of Scotland is not listed by you as a public authority under the FOIA 2002 - this means that freedom of information requests cannot be made to them’.

FOI partially withheld 90 score 19 working days correspondence ministers s.36(1) 2 attachments
Published
2024-10-08
Reference
FOI/202400426941
Directorate
Communications and Ministerial Support Directorate
Topic
Law and order, Public sector

Documents containing references to Twitter/X account @msm_monitor: FOI release

This is a follow up request to a previous FOI response. Your ref: 202400426520 The above referenced FOI response reveals that 22 documents in the Scottish Government’s eRDM system contain references to the Twitter/X account @msm_monitor (or specific tweets from that account). Please provide those 22 documents.

FOI partially withheld 85 score 20 working days correspondence 2 attachments
Published
2024-10-08
Reference
FOI/202400426989
Directorate
Communications and Ministerial Support Directorate
Topic
Public sector

WhatsApp/Text Messages related to Appeal 202100255908: FOI release

Regarding this FOI Appeal https://www.gov.scot/publications/foi-202100255908/ Please release all the information not released or disclosed or that had a redaction applied in the above FOI request as it is now credible that exemptions applied may have being misapplied or misused, in order to not release some or all of ...

FOI partially withheld 90 score 20 working days correspondence ministers whatsapp s.26 s.30 s.28(1) s.29(1) s.36(1) s.38(1) s.34(1) 2 attachments
Published
2024-10-04
Reference
FOI/202400426366
Directorate
Communications and Ministerial Support Directorate
Topic
Public sector

Costs for the First Minister to visit Germany for the European Football Championships: FOI release

The total cost including flights and personal expenses for Mr. Swinney and his accompanying staff for the visit they made to Germany for the European Football Championships.

FOI partially withheld 65 score 20 working days correspondence ministers special advisers spending s.39(1)
Published
2024-10-04
Reference
FOI/202400426320
Directorate
Communications and Ministerial Support Directorate
Topic
International, Public sector

Former First Minister's messages during the Covid 19 pandemic: FOI release

Nicola Sturgeon's What's App messages during the Covid 19 pandemic.

FOI partially withheld 90 score 20 working days correspondence ministers meetings whatsapp s.25(1) s.38(1) s.28 2 attachments
Published
2024-09-23
Reference
FOI/202400423476
Directorate
Communications and Ministerial Support Directorate
Topic
Coronavirus (COVID-19) and other respiratory infections in Scotland, Public sector