FOI/202600502604 · FOI · partially withheld
CBI Scotland documentation: FOI release
Information requested
You asked for "all documentation held by the Scottish Government, including correspondence sent and received (including internal), minutes/notes from meetings, briefings and analysis, which is to/from CBI Scotland, or mentions them, from the last month".
Response
I enclose a copy of most of the information you requested.
Some of the information you have requested is available online. The CBI Scotland Budget release (document 57, 71), CBI Manifesto (document 1, 73, 123), and the CBI Press release of 8 January (document 75) can all be found at Insights and analysis | CBI. The Infrastructure Strategy (document 123) can be found at Infrastructure Strategy 2027-2037: consultation - gov.scot. The FSB press release with business organisations views on business rates (document 93) can be found on the FSB website The Federation of Small Businesses . The TET stage 3 Bill letter (documents 99/100) can be found at Letter from the Minister for Higher and Further Education to the Convener of 16 January 2026.
Under section 25(1) of FOISA, we do not have to give you information which is already reasonably accessible to you. If, however, you do not have internet access to obtain this information from the website(s) listed, then please contact me again and I will send you a paper copy.
While our aim is to provide information whenever possible, in this instance we are unable to provide some of the information you have requested because an exemption(s) under sections 38(1)(b) - Personal Data; s.27(1) - Information intended for future publication; 30(b)(i) and 30(b)(ii) - Free and frank provision of advice and exchange of views; and 39(1) - Disclosure would, or would be likely to, endanger the physical or mental health or safety of an individual - of FOISA applies to some of the information you have requested. The reasons why that exemption(s) applies are explained below.
An exemption(s) under section 38(1)(b) of FOISA applies to some of the information you have requested. This exemption is in line with GDPR law and has been applied to remove the names and contact details of Scottish Government officials below Civil Service Deputy Director level, and external stakeholders who have not shared permission for their details to be shared.
An exemption(s) under section s.27(1) of FOISA applies to some of the information you have requested in document 94. This information is in relation to a Fair Work website article that is intended for future publication. This will be available on mygov.scot.
An exemption(s) under section 30(b)(i) and 30(b)(ii) of FOISA applies to some of the information you have requested in documents 13, 23, 24, 28, 24, 46, 60, 64, 65, 68, 70, 79, 92, 98, 122, 123, 126, 128, and 130. This information has been redacted under free and frank provision of advice and exchange of views including internal advice to Ministers, including draft speeches and draft policy lines.
The Ministerial briefing for the Stage 3 debate of the TET Bill on 20 January 2026 (document 98) made one reference to CBI Scotland: “The SFC has engaged with the Scottish Apprenticeship Advisory Board (SAAB) and employer groups (Scottish Training Federation, Federation of Small Businesses, CITB, CBI Scotland, Prosper, the Scottish Chambers of Commerce and other interested parties) to develop the remit of the apprenticeship committee. The rest of the document is out of scope. This exemption 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 exemption. We have found that, on balance, the public interest lies in favour of upholding the exemption as disclosure would be likely to inhibit officials from providing full and frank policy advice in future.
An exemption(s) under section 39(1) of FOISA applies to some of the information you have requested in documents 2, 5, and 88. This information has been redacted as disclosure would, or would be likely to, endanger the physical or mental health or safety of an individual. This exemption 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 exemption. We have found that, on balance, the public interest lies in favour of upholding the exemption. We recognise that there is some public interest in Minister's future travel arrangements.
However, this is outweighed by the public interest in the safety of Ministers.
About FOI
The Scottish Government is committed to publishing all information released in response to Freedom of Information requests. View all FOI responses at https://www.gov.scot/foi-responses.
Detected exemption language
Under section 25(1) of FOISA, we do not have to give you information which is already reasonably accessible to you. While our aim is to provide information whenever possible, in this instance we are unable to provide some of the information you have requested because an exemption(s) under sections 38(1)(b) - Personal Data; s.27(1) - Information intended for future publication; 30(b)(i) and 30(b)(ii) - Free and frank provision of advice and exchange of views; and 39(1) - Disclosure would, or would be likely to, endanger the physical or mental health or safety of an individual - of FOISA applies to some of the information you have requested. The reasons why that exemption(s) applies are explained below. An exemption(s) under section 38(1)(b) of FOISA applies to some of the information you have requested. This exemption is in line with GDPR law and has been applied to remove the names and contact details of Scottish Government officials below Civil Service Deputy Director level, and external stakeholders who have not shared permission for their details to be shared.