Scottish Government FOI Index

22,640releases indexed

40,478attachments found

29.5avg calendar days

8,386partially withheld

2016-06-13oldest in sample

2026-09-02newest in sample

Outcomes

partially withheld 8,386 unclear 7,405 not held 3,239 released 1,581 already published 700 cost limit 627 clarification 372 withheld 249 transferred 81

Top Exemptions

s.38(1) 5149 s.20 4430 s.34(1) 3727 s.39(2) 3593 s.30 2994 s.17(1) 2922 s.25(1) 2520 s.10(4) 2060 s.11(2) 1619 s.29(1) 1223 s.2 1222 s.3 958

Timeline

2026-09 1 2026-08 299 2026-07 476 2026-06 1 2026-05 410 2026-04 312 2026-03 217 2026-02 589

Directorate Profiles

Communications and Ministerial Support Directorate 1,312 releases · 27.9 avg days Marine Directorate 978 releases · 29.6 avg days Energy and Climate Change Directorate 961 releases · 30.9 avg days Learning Directorate 871 releases · 34.3 avg days Economic Development Directorate 737 releases · 39.7 avg days Constitution Directorate 702 releases · 35.9 avg days Population Health Directorate 665 releases · 28.5 avg days People Directorate 657 releases · 25.6 avg days

Clear

533 matching releases

Ministerial conflict of interest declarations: FOI release

You asked "As a follow up request, can you advise if the existence of such relationships, of which I have evidence, should mean that an MSP and/or serving minister should declare a conflict of interest prior to agreeing to engaging on a constituent’s behalf, and then failing to make representations they offered to make...

FOI unclear 50 score 3 working days correspondence ministers

Published: 2025-11-11
Reference: FOI/202500482360
Directorate: Communications and Ministerial Support Directorate
Topic: Constitution and democracy, Public sector

Citizen Engagement platform queries: FOI release

1) Do you use a Citizen Engagement platform? 2) If so, what tools do you use? 3) How much do you spend annually on a Citizen Engagement tool? 4) Which month & year does your contract with your supplier end?

FOI unclear 50 score 13 working days correspondence contracts spending

Published: 2025-11-06
Reference: FOI/202500480407
Directorate: Communications and Ministerial Support Directorate
Topic: Public sector

Communications staffing within the Scottish Government: FOI release

1. The number of press and communications staff. 2. A breakdown of these staff by job title (e.g. number of press officers, heads of press office, directors of communications, social media staff, etc). 3. The overall spend on salaries for these staff in the year 2024/25.

FOI unclear 50 score 21 working days over deadline correspondence ministers contracts spending

Published: 2025-11-05
Reference: FOI/202500477988
Directorate: Communications and Ministerial Support Directorate
Topic: Public sector, Work and skills

Scottish Government spend on billboard advertising in last 5 years: FOI release

Total annual expenditure, from 2019 to present (covering the last five years), annually, on billboards and billboard advertising, including a breakdown per year what the money was spent on

FOI unclear 50 score 17 working days correspondence spending

Published: 2025-11-05
Reference: FOI/202500478571
Directorate: Communications and Ministerial Support Directorate
Topic: Business, industry and innovation, Public sector

Use of third party file portals and future accessibility of Freedom of Information rights queries: FOI release

1. Has the Scottish Government issued any guidance on the use of third-party portals to issue FOI responses? 2. Is there any national policy position on whether public bodies should continue to accept FOI requests by email? 3. Has any cross-government coordination taken place on consolidating or standardising FOI res...

FOI unclear 55 score 20 working days correspondence s.60 s.61 s.9 s.17(1) s.4

Published: 2025-11-04
Reference: FOI/202500477785
Directorate: Communications and Ministerial Support Directorate
Topic: Public sector

Costs of creating the new position of Cabinet Secretary for Housing: FOI release

The cost of creating the new position of Cabinet Secretary for Housing. Please break down all costs involved, including, for example, creating new office space, buying new stationery, hiring new staff or special advisers, purchasing new signage or business cards, etc.

FOI unclear 55 score 15 working days correspondence ministers special advisers spending s.17(1)

Published: 2025-10-22
Reference: FOI/202500476510
Directorate: Communications and Ministerial Support Directorate
Topic: Public sector, Work and skills

Scottish Government spend on social media advertising: FOI release

Can I please request the following information under FOI: The amount of money the Scottish Government spent on social media advertising in 2021-22; 2022-23 and 2023-2024. Can you please break this down by platform type (Facebook, Instagram, X, TikTok and LinkedIn).

FOI unclear 50 score 20 working days correspondence spending

Published: 2025-10-20
Reference: FOI/202500474810
Directorate: Communications and Ministerial Support Directorate
Topic: Public sector

Building a New Scotland series website downloads: FOI release

Please provide the most recent available data on the number of views, downloads, and any public responses for each individual publication in the Building a New Scotland independence prospectus series. This is a follow-up to FOI-202400402847, but I am requesting the latest available figures for all published papers in ...

FOI unclear 55 score 21 working days over deadline correspondence s.17

Published: 2025-10-20
Reference: FOI/202500475997
Directorate: Communications and Ministerial Support Directorate
Topic: Building a new Scotland, Public sector

Scottish Government Equality Impact Assessment (EQIA) hybrid working policy: FOI release

1. Please provide an unredacted version of the Scottish Government’s full equality impact assessment (EQIA) for its new hybrid working policy, where staff should spend 40% of their contracted hours working in an office or community. 2. Please provide any correspondence or documentation published about this on the Scot...

FOI unclear 80 score 20 working days correspondence contracts spending s.38(1) 2 attachments

Published: 2025-10-14
Reference: FOI/202500484788
Directorate: Communications and Ministerial Support Directorate
Topic: Public sector, Work and skills

Bute House energy supplier: EIR release

The name of the supplier who supplies gas to Bute House. For example, Scottish Power, Total Energies Gas & Power, etc. The name of the supplier who supplies electricity to Bute House. For example, Scottish Power, Total Energies Gas & Power, etc.

FOI/EIR unclear 50 score 18 working days correspondence contracts

Published: 2025-10-14
Reference: EIR/202500473139
Directorate: Communications and Ministerial Support Directorate
Topic: Constitution and democracy, Energy, Public sector

New ministerial offices within Scottish Government estate: FOI release

Since 1 May 2021, the cost of creating new Ministerial offices within the Scottish Government. Note that I am referring to the physical space of an office that is used by a Minister. Costs could include but not be limited to purchasing new furniture, purchasing signage, taking out walls, relocating previous users of th...

FOI unclear 55 score 17 working days correspondence ministers spending s.17(1)

Published: 2025-10-14
Reference: FOI/202500473946
Directorate: Communications and Ministerial Support Directorate
Topic: Constitution and democracy, Public sector

Ministerial engagements attended by relation or friend: FOI release

Please provide a list of all ministerial engagements, meetings or visits in 2025 to date where a minister has been accompanied by a spouse/partner, other family member or friend. In each case, please confirm: The relation of the guest to the minister. Whether the friend or family member travel using the ministerial c...

FOI unclear 50 score 15 working days correspondence ministers meetings

Published: 2025-09-25
Reference: FOI/202500472116
Directorate: Communications and Ministerial Support Directorate
Topic: Public sector, Work and skills

Scottish Government Ministers interactions with Large Language Models (LLM): FOI release

Can I request the following information under the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002: Any recorded transcripts, logs, outputs, or other documentation of interactions between Scottish Government Ministers and ChatGPT or any other large language model (LLM) from January 1, 2025, to June 18, 2025. This includes ...

FOI unclear 80 score 18 working days correspondence ministers s.17(1) 2 attachments

Published: 2025-09-25
Reference: FOI/202500471617
Directorate: Communications and Ministerial Support Directorate
Topic: Public sector, Work and skills

Costs of Scottish Government's media room: FOI release

Full breakdown of costs for the Scottish Government's media room from the last five years, broken down per year.

FOI unclear 55 score 20 working days correspondence ministers briefings meetings contracts s.17(1)

Published: 2025-09-25
Reference: FOI/202500471222
Directorate: Communications and Ministerial Support Directorate
Topic: Public sector, Work and skills

Forwarded e-mails from ministerial e-mail addresses to personal email addresses: FOI release

Number of times government ministers have forwarded e-mails or documents from their ministerial e-mail addresses to their personal e-mail addresses in calendar years 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, and 2025 to date? Please provide the data broken down by the name, and role of the government minister for each year. If the same...

FOI unclear 50 score 13 working days correspondence ministers

Published: 2025-09-23
Reference: FOI/202500468575
Directorate: Communications and Ministerial Support Directorate
Topic: Public sector, Work and skills

Scottish Government spend on prepaid mobile phones: FOI release

How much money has the Scottish Government spent on prepaid mobile phones for the First Minister's department and the corporate department in the last five years, with a breakdown per year?

FOI unclear 50 score 20 working days correspondence ministers contracts spending

Published: 2025-09-23
Reference: FOI/202500467698
Directorate: Communications and Ministerial Support Directorate
Topic: Money and tax, Public sector

Campaign 'Let's Do Net Zero' costs: FOI release

I am requesting information under the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002. Please could you provide me with the costs incurred for the Scottish Government's 'Let's Do Net Zero' campaign, since the launch of the campaign. This would include, but is not limited to, public relations/communications advice by extern...

FOI unclear 50 score 17 working days correspondence spending

Published: 2025-09-23
Reference: FOI/202500468571
Directorate: Communications and Ministerial Support Directorate
Topic: Money and tax, Public sector

Diary of Minister for Social Care, Mental Wellbeing and Sport: FOI release

Could I please see the diary of appointments for Maree Todd, Minister for Social Care, Mental Wellbeing and Sport, for one straight month of work preferably 2025?

FOI unclear 50 score 21 working days over deadline correspondence ministers briefings meetings spending

Published: 2025-09-17
Reference: FOI/202500464718
Directorate: Communications and Ministerial Support Directorate
Topic: Public sector, Work and skills

Scottish Government spend on social media graphics: FOI release

The total amount that the Scottish Government has spent on graphics for social media posts (for posting on sites such as Twitter/X, Bluesky, Facebook, and LinkedIn) broken down into a table to reflect every financial year from 2021-22 to date.

FOI unclear 55 score 21 working days over deadline correspondence spending s.20

Published: 2025-09-10
Reference: FOI/202500461911
Directorate: Communications and Ministerial Support Directorate
Topic: Building, planning and design, Public sector

DG Education and Justice contacts: FOI release

In your letter, you requested the following information: Organisation Information for DG Education and Justice Confirmation of contact details for SCS and other leadership roles present within DG Education and Justice.

FOI unclear 80 score 24 working days over deadline correspondence s.25(1) 2 attachments

Published: 2025-09-08
Reference: FOI/202500460443
Directorate: Communications and Ministerial Support Directorate
Topic: Education, Law and order, Public sector

Permission for the Health Secretary to take a guest to an event: FOI release

In line with the ministerial code, please provide me with the written permission obtained by Neil Gray and/or staff asking the First Minister for written permission to take his child to the football with him.

FOI unclear 80 score 23 working days over deadline correspondence ministers s.17(1) 2 attachments

Published: 2025-09-04
Reference: FOI/202500475371
Directorate: Communications and Ministerial Support Directorate
Topic: Public sector

Scottish Government hybrid working queries: FOI release

When did Scottish government first introduce a policy on hybrid working for employee? Can you provide me with a copy of that policy? Can you provide me with the Equality & Diversity Impact Assessment [EQIA] of that policy? What data gathering arrangements were put in place as a result of the EQIA to ensure that the pol...

FOI unclear 50 score 19 working days correspondence ministers contracts

Published: 2025-09-03
Reference: FOI/202500466607
Directorate: Communications and Ministerial Support Directorate
Topic: Public sector, Work and skills

Date for implementation of 40% office attendance policy: FOI release

My query relates to the '40% attendance in the office' policy for core Scottish Government staff that was recently announced. It is stated this policy is to be in place from October. 1. Can you please confirm the exact date of implementation? 2. Can you confirm whether the implementation date will now be delayed due ...

FOI unclear 50 score 9 working days correspondence spending

Published: 2025-09-03
Reference: FOI/202500477661
Directorate: Communications and Ministerial Support Directorate
Topic: Public sector, Work and skills

Scottish Government writing style guide list of words to avoid: FOI release

You asked for ‘A list of banned words as referred to in the attached style guide as “words to avoid”.’

FOI unclear 80 score 13 working days correspondence s.25(1) 2 attachments

Published: 2025-08-07
Reference: FOI/202500473284
Directorate: Communications and Ministerial Support Directorate
Topic: Constitution and democracy, Public sector

Special Advisers and ChatGPT documentation: FOI release

Any recorded transcripts, logs, outputs, or other documentation of interactions between Scottish Government Special Advisers and ChatGPT or any other large language model (LLM) from January 1, 2025, to June 18, 2025. This includes any saved chats, screenshots, exported files, or other relevant records held by the Scot...

FOI unclear 80 score 18 working days correspondence ministers special advisers s.2 s.17(1) 2 attachments

Published: 2025-08-06
Reference: FOI/202500471620
Directorate: Communications and Ministerial Support Directorate
Topic: Public sector