202200290091 · FOI · partially withheld
Advice on wearing face coverings: FOI release
Information requested
The content of all advice provided to Scottish ministers by their Covid advisors about the extent to which wearing a face covering stops the transmission of the BA.2 type of the omicron variant.
Please include school settings, workplaces, public transport, shops, places of leisure such as theatres and gyms, tourism settings such as hotel and licensed premises.
Response
I have included copies of the information you have requested in Annex A which can be found attached.
On reviewing materials within the scope of your request, an exemption has been applied in line with the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002.
The exemption applied in this instance is:
A small amount of information has been redacted from the documents disclosed under section 30(b)(i) (free and frank provision of advice) of FOISA. This exemption applies because disclosure would, or would be likely to, inhibit substantially the free and frank provision of advice. This exemption recognises the need for Ministers to have a private space within which to seek advice and views from officials. This exemption is subject to the ‘public interest test’, therefore taking into 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 exemptions. We have found that, on balance, the public interest lies in favour of upholding the exemption.
You may also find it helpful to note that the Scottish Government Coronavirus COVID-19 Advisory Sub- Group on Education and Children’s Issues publishes minutes of meetings held which includes advice on mitigations in school settings. I have included links below to recent minutes by the Sub-Group for your convenience:
Coronavirus (COVID-19): Advisory Sub-Group on Education and Children's Issues minutes: 8 February 2022 Coronavirus (COVID-19): Advisory Sub-Group on Education and Children's Issues minutes: 22 February 2022 Coronavirus (COVID-19): Advisory Sub-Group on Education and Children's Issues minutes: 8 March 2022
About FOI
The Scottish Government is committed to publishing all information released in response to Freedom of Information requests. View all FOI responses at http://www.gov.scot/foi-responses.
Detected exemption language
On reviewing materials within the scope of your request, an exemption has been applied in line with the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002. The exemption applied in this instance is: A small amount of information has been redacted from the documents disclosed under section 30(b)(i) (free and frank provision of advice) of FOISA. This exemption applies because disclosure would, or would be likely to, inhibit substantially the free and frank provision of advice. This exemption recognises the need for Ministers to have a private space within which to seek advice and views from officials. This exemption is subject to the ‘public interest test’, therefore taking into 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 exemptions.