202300356471 · FOI · not held
Expenses, itinerary and correspondence from Neil Gray's trip to Japan in April 2023: FOI release
Information requested
Full expenses from Neil Gray's trip to Japan in April 2023, including how many members of staff went with him, what hotels he stayed in and how he got there and back plus full dates of when he went. Full itinerary from his trip to Japan and including any minutes taken at these meetings. What involvement did the UK Government have with the Sumitomo Electric Industries deal which will see them build a cable factory in the Highlands? All correspondence between the Scottish Government (including ministers, civil servants and officials), UK Government (including ministers, civil servants, officials and the trade department) and Sumitomo Electric Industries over the last 12 months.
Response
I enclose a copy of some of the information you requested.
The answer to question 1 on costs associated with the visit as well as who travelled with the Cabinet Secretary is:
Name Title Flight Costs/Route/Dates Accommodation Costs Neil Gray Cabinet Secretary for Wellbeing Economy, Fair Work and Energy £6623.31 (Edinburgh – Frankfurt – Tokyo) 25 April – 28 April £400.52 (Imperial Hotel, Osaka and KKR Hotel, Tokyo) REDACTED – withheld under section 38 (1) (b) – personal data relating to a third party Private Secretary to Cabinet Secretary for Wellbeing Economy, Fair Work and Energy £6623.31 (Edinburgh – Frankfurt – Tokyo) 25 April – 28 April £400.52 (Imperial Hotel, Osaka and KKR Hotel, Tokyo) Frances Pacitti Deputy Director, Offshore Wind Directorate £5323.01 (Edinburgh – Frankfurt – Tokyo) 25 April – 28 April £410.20 (Imperial Hotel, Osaka and KKR Hotel, Tokyo)
Other costs including local transport and food are set out below. As these costs were paid for locally by in-country Scottish Development International staff, the costs are provided in the local currency (Japanese Yen).
Date Item Cost in JPY 25/04/2023 Hire car in Tokyo \ 65,670 Train \ 57,570 26/04/2023 Taxi \ 10,500 Taxi \ 760 Dinner \ 11,650 27/04/2023 Coffee \ 7,000 Hire car in Osaka \ 71,600 Lunch \ 11,550 Dinner \ 7,530 Interpreter \ 94,500 28/04/2023 Taxi \ 10,500 Train \ 59,370 Lunch \ 7,250
In addition to this a further £24.71 was claimed by Scottish Government staff to cover additional food costs with a further £55.98 claimed for a taxi to the airport.
The answer to your request for question 2 is contained within Annex A and Annex B to this letter.
For question 3 of your request, you asked what involvement the UK Government had with the inward investment by Sumitomo. In this case the Scottish Government does not hold the information you have requested. This is a formal notice under section 17(1) of FOISA that the Scottish Government does not have the information you have requested. You may wish to contact the UK Government to obtain this information.
For question 4 of your request you asked for all correspondence relating to Sumitomo between the UK Government and Scottish Government. Some of this information is attached at Annex C.
While our aim is to provide information wherever possible, in this instance we are unable to provide some of the information you have requested because exemptions under sections 38(1)(b) personal information, 30(b)(i) free and frank provision of advice, 33(1)(b) commercial interests.
These exemptions are subject to the ‘public interest test’. Therefore, taking account of all 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.
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
The answer to question 1 on costs associated with the visit as well as who travelled with the Cabinet Secretary is: Name Title Flight Costs/Route/Dates Accommodation Costs Neil Gray Cabinet Secretary for Wellbeing Economy, Fair Work and Energy £6623.31 (Edinburgh – Frankfurt – Tokyo) 25 April – 28 April £400.52 (Imperial Hotel, Osaka and KKR Hotel, Tokyo) REDACTED – withheld under section 38 (1) (b) – personal data relating to a third party Private Secretary to Cabinet Secretary for Wellbeing Economy, Fair Work and Energy £6623.31 (Edinburgh – Frankfurt – Tokyo) 25 April – 28 April £400.52 (Imperial Hotel, Osaka and KKR Hotel, Tokyo) Frances Pacitti Deputy Director, Offshore Wind Directorate £5323.01 (Edinburgh – Frankfurt – Tokyo) 25 April – 28 April £410.20 (Imperial Hotel, Osaka and KKR Hotel, Tokyo) Other costs including local transport and food are set out below. This is a formal notice under section 17(1) of FOISA that the Scottish Government does not have the information you have requested. While our aim is to provide information wherever possible, in this instance we are unable to provide some of the information you have requested because exemptions under sections 38(1)(b) personal information, 30(b)(i) free and frank provision of advice, 33(1)(b) commercial interests. These exemptions are subject to the ‘public interest test’. Therefore, taking account of all circumstances of this case, we have considered if the public interest in disclosing the information outweighs the public interest in applying the exemption.