Scottish Government FOI Index

4,100releases indexed

6,376attachments found

25.6avg calendar days

1,683partially withheld

2025-05-08oldest in sample

2026-05-15newest in sample

Outcomes

partially withheld 1,683 unclear 998 not held 683 released 264 already published 195 cost limit 138 clarification 71 withheld 52 transferred 16

Top Exemptions

s.38(1) 1230 s.34(1) 920 s.20 818 s.30 745 s.39(2) 676 s.17(1) 634 s.25(1) 505 s.10(4) 431 s.11(2) 362 s.29(1) 297 s.2 287 s.3 212

Timeline

2026-05 339 2026-04 312 2026-03 217 2026-02 589 2026-01 479 2025-12 177 2025-11 263 2025-10 217

Directorate Profiles

Communications and Ministerial Support Directorate 298 releases · 25.1 avg days Energy and Climate Change Directorate 254 releases · 28.0 avg days Culture and External Affairs Directorate 173 releases · 27.7 avg days Marine Directorate 150 releases · 26.9 avg days Equality, Inclusion and Human Rights Directorate 149 releases · 32.6 avg days People Directorate 144 releases · 23.2 avg days Local Government and Housing Directorate 132 releases · 26.4 avg days Agriculture and Rural Economy Directorate 120 releases · 23.8 avg days

Clear

22 matching releases

Scottish Prison Service Policy for the Management of Transgender People in Custody Operational Guidance spend: FOI release

How much has the Scottish Government spent to date on the judicial review of the Scottish Prison Service Policy for the Management of Transgender People in Custody Operational Guidance, which began on 3 February?

FOI unclear 50 score 11 working days correspondence spending

Published: 2026-05-14
Reference: FOI/202600505937
Directorate: Justice Directorate
Topic: Law and order, Public sector

National Ugly Mugs (NUM) meeting information: FOI release

Please provide a list of all meeting National Ugly Mugs (NUM) has had with the Scottish Government, including Ministers, since 2020. Please also provide minutes from these minutes including who attended.

FOI unclear 50 score 20 working days correspondence ministers meetings

Published: 2026-05-11
Reference: FOI/202600500064
Directorate: Justice Directorate
Topic: Law and order, Public sector

Devolution of reserved tribunals: FOI release

Please could you confirm the following: a) What is the Scottish Government's policy on the devolution of the reserved tribunals, as permitted by section 39 of the Scotland Act 2016 (SA 2016)? NB: I have read that the Scottish Government does not intend to pursue devolution of the reserved tribunals during the current...

FOI unclear 55 score 23 working days over deadline correspondence s.39

Published: 2026-02-16
Reference: FOI/202500497272
Directorate: Justice Directorate
Topic: Law and order, Public sector

Classification of Torture civil or criminal liability: FOI release

Whether torture is a civil or criminal offence.

FOI unclear 55 score 6 working days correspondence s.13

Published: 2026-02-10
Reference: FOI/202500495415
Directorate: Justice Directorate
Topic: Law and order, Public sector

Legal Aid Traineeship Fund information: FOI release

1. The annual costs incurred by the Scottish Government in delivering the Legal Aid Traineeship Fund for each financial year it was delivered. 2. A breakdown of these costs, including (but not limited to): Salary contributions per trainee. Regulatory costs (e.g., Practising Certificate fees, CPD). Administrative or m...

FOI unclear 75 score 20 working days correspondence spending 2 attachments

Published: 2026-02-09
Reference: FOI/202500492785
Directorate: Justice Directorate
Topic: Law and order, Public sector, Work and skills

Statistics on life sentence prisoners: FOI release

Statistics on life sentence prisoners (including Order for Lifelong Restriction prisoners) currently on licence in the community in Scotland as of the most recent date available, the number of life sentence prisoners living in the community in Scotland on licence at the end of each year for the last 5 years and also th...

FOI unclear 55 score 19 working days correspondence s.25(1)

Published: 2026-01-26
Reference: FOI/202500489685
Directorate: Justice Directorate
Topic: Law and order, Public sector

Chair of the Misogyny and Criminal Justice in Scotland Working Group payment details: FOI release

How much money has the Scottish Government given to Helena Kennedy in the last five years, with a breakdown of what the money went to?

FOI unclear 50 score 18 working days correspondence spending

Published: 2026-01-14
Reference: FOI/202500486862
Directorate: Justice Directorate
Topic: Law and order, Public sector

Repealing of the False Oaths (Scotland) Act 1933: FOI release

You asked why the False Oaths (Scotland) Act 1933 was repealed in 2011 and whether making a false oath is dealt with as a criminal offence or a common law offence.

FOI unclear 80 score 3 working days correspondence s.44 4 attachments

Published: 2025-11-18
Reference: FOI/202500483008
Directorate: Justice Directorate
Topic: Law and order, Public sector

Post Office (Horizon System) Offences (Scotland) Act 2024 queries: FOI release

(1) How many people have the Scottish Government identified to have had their conviction quashed under the Post Office (Horizon System) Offences (Scotland) Act 2024? (2) Of those people identified, how many people have the Scottish Government been able to contact so far?

FOI unclear 50 score 17 working days correspondence

Published: 2025-10-16
Reference: FOI/202500476631
Directorate: Justice Directorate
Topic: Law and order, Public sector

Letter from Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice: FOI release

Any response by the Secretary of State for Justice, Ministers in the Ministry of Justice, or officials in the Ministry of Justice to the letter sent by the Cabinet Secretary for Justice and Home Affairs on 13 January 2025 (attached).

FOI unclear 75 score 20 working days correspondence ministers 2 attachments

Published: 2025-09-18
Reference: FOI/202500466078
Directorate: Justice Directorate
Topic: Law and order, Public sector

Scottish Government spend on Misogyny Bill: FOI release

You asked for “how much the Scottish Government estimates it spent on the Misogyny Bill in terms of civil servants’ time drafting it, consultations, print costs for the relevant documents”

FOI unclear 55 score 20 working days correspondence spending s.17(1)

Published: 2025-09-17
Reference: FOI/202500464828
Directorate: Justice Directorate
Topic: Equality and rights, Law and order, Public sector

Misogyny Bill legislation costs: FOI release

You asked for “the total cost incurred by the Scottish Government in considering plans for misogyny legislation over the last five years”

FOI unclear 50 score 18 working days correspondence spending

Published: 2025-09-17
Reference: FOI/202500465297
Directorate: Justice Directorate
Topic: Equality and rights, Law and order, Public sector

Sentencing and Penal Policy Commission funding: FOI release

Since its establishment, how much funding has been given to the Sentencing and Penal Policy Commission? Please break this down by spend type. E.g. expenses, funding for policy papers, salaries etc.

FOI unclear 50 score 7 working days correspondence spending

Published: 2025-09-09
Reference: FOI/202500479228
Directorate: Justice Directorate
Topic: Law and order, Public sector

Correspondence on the Misogyny Bill: FOI release

Any correspondence (including emails, letters, phone calls, handwritten notes, WhatsApp messages or any other documents) between the office of the First Minister and the office of the minister forMinister for Equalities regarding the Misogyny Bill. Information should include but not be limited to a detailed timel...

FOI unclear 50 score 18 working days correspondence ministers whatsapp

Published: 2025-08-05
Reference: FOI/202500465199
Directorate: Justice Directorate
Topic: Law and order, Public sector

Rangers Football Club legal proceedings: FOI release

You asked for, in terms of the sale of Rangers Football Club: 1. What is the expected timescale for these legal proceedings to be concluded. Clearly the longer this drags on then that may affect the inquiry and so the speedy resolution of any legal proceedings should be a priority. 2. While awaiting the resolution of...

FOI unclear 50 score 14 working days correspondence ministers

Published: 2025-07-30
Reference: FOI/202500468657
Directorate: Justice Directorate
Topic: Arts, culture and sport, Law and order, Public sector

Fitness for Judicial Office Tribunal proceedings costs: FOI release

John Halley, a part-time sheriff, was subject to Fitness for Judicial Office Tribunal proceedings which have now been completed. Under the Court Reform (Scotland) Act 2014, Scottish Ministers are obliged to pay such expenses as they consider are reasonably required to be incurred to enable a tribunal to carry out its ...

FOI unclear 50 score 8 working days correspondence ministers spending

Published: 2025-07-29
Reference: FOI/202500469058
Directorate: Justice Directorate
Topic: Law and order, Public sector

Sex offender programme completion statistics: FOI release

Programme completions of individuals that had been convicted of a sexual offence, across custody and community, between 2010 and 2025.

FOI unclear 55 score 13 working days correspondence s.17

Published: 2025-07-16
Reference: FOI/202500460475
Directorate: Justice Directorate
Topic: Law and order, Public sector

Financial cost of Gender Recognition Act legal case: FOI release

Can you please provide what the financial cost to date pursuing the Gender Recognition Act through the various courts and ultimately to the appeal court of appeal decision to clarify the position.

FOI unclear 50 score 20 working days correspondence ministers meetings spending

Published: 2025-07-15
Reference: FOI/202500462493
Directorate: Justice Directorate
Topic: Law and order, Public sector

New Highland Prison spend: FOI release

How much money to date has been spent on the construction of the new HMP Highland Prison in Inverness.

FOI unclear 50 score 20 working days correspondence spending

Published: 2025-07-08
Reference: FOI/202500458979
Directorate: Justice Directorate
Topic: Law and order, Public sector

Meetings regarding return to legal time limit for prisoners to be on remand: FOI release

For the dates of meetings held by the Scottish Government in which ministers or officials have discussed returning to a legal time limit for prisoners to be on remand, we have records of meetings taking place on the following dates at which the return to pre-pandemic time limits in solemn remand cases was discussed: 2...

FOI unclear 55 score 18 working days correspondence ministers meetings s.11 s.65

Published: 2025-07-07
Reference: FOI/202500465752
Directorate: Justice Directorate
Topic: Law and order, Public sector

Extending of powers in Section 54 of the Road Traffic Offenders Act 1988: FOI release

You asked for information on the implementation of Section 97 of the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act 2022 (the 2022 Act), and a related working group chaired by the Scottish Government. Specifically, you asked: “I request a summary of the Scottish Government’s response to this legislation, the progress made t...

FOI unclear 55 score 9 working days correspondence spending s.97 s.54

Published: 2025-06-26
Reference: FOI/202500459921
Directorate: Justice Directorate
Topic: Law and order, Public sector

Costs for the development of the Children (Scotland) Bill: FOI release

'Do government staff not fill in weekly timesheets, like any private company?' 'Can you please explain how costs are controlled if you have no idea of staff time spent on tasks?' The context in which you have asked for this information is contained within an email referring to the development of the Children (Scotlan...

FOI unclear 50 score 20 working days correspondence spending

Published: 2025-06-18
Reference: FOI/202500456856
Directorate: Justice Directorate
Topic: Law and order, Public sector