FOI/202300357032 · FOI · partially withheld
Minister for Independence - Correspondence, Staff and Meetings: FOI release
Information requested
1. All correspondence between the UK Government, Scottish government and civil servants regarding the minister for independence?
2. How many civil servants are working under him and how much are their salaries? Broken down by job title and Pay grade.
3. List of Mr Hepburn’s meetings since being appointed and minutes from these meetings?
Response
On 19 May 2023, we sought clarification on you on the scope regarding question 1 and you confirmed you were requesting all correspondence between the UK and Scottish Governments.
1. A small amount of information was identified as being in scope of your request however, an exemption under S.28(1) of FOISA applies to this information. The reason this exemption applies is explained in the Annex of this letter.
2. The majority of civil servants are not allocated to work directly for individual Ministers as part of their normal duties in supporting the Scottish Government. One member of staff is currently employed in the Minister for Independence’s private office as a Private Secretary at B2 grade. An exemption under S.38(1)(b) of FOISA applies to a small amount of the information you have requested. The reason why this exemption applies is explained in the Annex of this letter.
3. Some of the information you have requested about meetings attended by the Minister for Independence has already been published on the Scottish Government’s website, and can be found at the following link:
Information regarding the Independence Prospectus, Constitutional Futures Division and the Minister for Independence: FOI release - gov.scot (www.gov.scot)
The rest of the information about meetings attended by the Minster is included in the table below.
Date Description of Meeting 03/05/2023 Ministers Meeting 04/05/2023 Catch up with Officials – Correspondence/Diary 04/05/2023 Meeting with Officials – ‘Building a New Scotland Series’ 04/05/2023 Meeting with FM 09/05/2023 Meeting with SpAd 09/05/2023 Meeting with Ross Greer 10/05/2023 Podcast with the National 10/05/2023 Meeting with Strategic Comms 11/05/2023 Meeting with Senior Management Team – Constitutional Futures 11/05/2023 Meeting with officials – ‘Building a New Scotland Series’ 11/05/2023 Meeting with Ministers – ‘Building a New Scotland Series’ 16/05/2023 Meeting with Officials – ‘Paper 1 and Paper 3’
The minutes for meetings attended by the Minister where applicable, between 30 March 2023 – 17 May 2023, are enclosed with this letter. Exemptions under S.29(1)(a), S.30(c), S.30(b)(ii) and S.38(1)(b) of FOISA apply to some of the information requested. The reason why these exemptions apply are explained in the Annex of this letter.
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
A small amount of information was identified as being in scope of your request however, an exemption under S.28(1) of FOISA applies to this information. The reason this exemption applies is explained in the Annex of this letter. An exemption under S.38(1)(b) of FOISA applies to a small amount of the information you have requested. The reason why this exemption applies is explained in the Annex of this letter. Exemptions under S.29(1)(a), S.30(c), S.30(b)(ii) and S.38(1)(b) of FOISA apply to some of the information requested.