FOI-202500489711 · FOI · partially withheld
Deputy First Minister’s trip to Canada: FOI release
Information requested
The total cost of the Deputy First Minister’s October 2025 trip to Canada broken down by category of expense – for example, flights, accommodation, and food.
A list of the number of people accompanying the Deputy First Minister on the trip, and their titles.
A list of people or organisations the Deputy First Minister met with in Canada.
Response
While our aim is to provide information whenever possible, in this instance the Scottish Government does not have some of the information you have requested. The reason why we don't hold this information is because some of the costs associated with this engagement were not finalised at the time of the request. This is a formal notice under section 17(1) of FOISA that the Scottish Government does not have some of the information you have requested.
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 under section 38(1)(b) (personal information) of FOISA applies to that information. This applies to the personal information (such as names) of non-senior civil servants.
This exemption is not subject to the 'public interest test', so we are not required to consider if the public interest in disclosing the information outweighs the public interest in applying the exemption.
The costs that were available at the time of the request are:
Flights:
DFM - £2074 PS - £1521.34 SG Canada Staff + Desk Officer - £3709.94 Additional bus transfer for Desk Officer - £82.47
Total: £7387.75 Accommodation:
DFM - £474.22 PS - £474.22 SG Canada Staff + Desk Officer - £1896.88
Total: £2845.32
A list of the number of people accompanying the Deputy First Minister on the trip, and their titles. Deputy Private Secretary Head of Scottish Government Canada Deputy Head of Scottish Government Canada Communications and Planning Officer, Scottish Government Canada International Relations Desk Officer
A list of people or organisations the Deputy First Minister met with in Canada. University of Guelph TD Bank Northland Power Saltire Foundation Canada Brookfield Nova Scotia Minister for Energy, The Hon. Trevor Boudreau Nova Scotia Minister for Gaelic Affairs, The Hon. Dave Ritcey Nova Scotia Minister of Growth and Development, The Hon. Colton LeBlanc Halifax Chamber of Commerce Gaelic Business Initiative His Honour the Honourable Mike Savage, ONS, Lieutenant Governor of Nova Scotia Speaker of the House, Nova Scotia Legislature, The Hon. Danielle Barker Nova Scotia Government Gaelic Affairs Nova Scotia Gaelic Council Kody Blois, MP
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.
Contact Please quote the FOI reference Central Correspondence Unit Email: contactus@gov.scot Phone: 0300 244 4000 The Scottish Government St Andrew's House Regent Road Edinburgh EH1 3DG
Detected exemption language
This is a formal notice under section 17(1) of FOISA that the Scottish Government does not have some of the information you have requested. 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 under section 38(1)(b) (personal information) of FOISA applies to that information. This exemption is not subject to the 'public interest test', so we are not required to consider if the public interest in disclosing the information outweighs the public interest in applying the exemption.
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