· FOI · partially withheld
First Minister's Standing Council on Europe: FOI release
Information requested
A breakdown of all communications between the First Minister and members of her Standing Council on Europe since July 2016. All correspondence between the First Minister and members of her Standing Council on Europe since July 2016. All minutes and notes taken of meetings between the First Minister and individuals on her Standing Council on Europe since July 2016. All minutes and notes taken of telephone communications between the First Minister and the Chinese Government since July 2016. All briefings provided for the First Minister by individuals on her Standing Council on Europe since July 2016.
Response
Below is a response to each of your requests:
a) A breakdown of all communications between the First Minister and members of her Standing Council on Europe since July 2016.
I enclose as an Annex a breakdown of communications between the First Minister and members of the Standing Council on Europe since July 2016.
b) All correspondence between the First Minister and members of her Standing Council on Europe since July 2016.
I enclose most of the information you requested. An exemption under section 38(1)(b) of FOISA (personal information) applies to a small amount of the information requested because it is personal data of a third party, ie contact details of individuals, and disclosing it would contravene the data protection principles in Schedule 1 to the Data Protection Act 1998. 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.
c) All minutes and notes taken of meetings between the First Minister and individuals on her Standing Council on Europe since July 2016.
Some of the information you have requested is available on the Scottish Government website. Minutes of meetings of the Standing Council on Europe can be found at : http://www.gov.scot/Topics/International/Europe/eu-referendum/FirstMinistersStandingCouncilonEurope/StandingCouncilonEuropeAgendaandMinutes
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 listed, then please contact me again and I will send you a paper copy.
The Scottish Government does not have some the information you have requested as there are no minutes or notes of meetings between First Minister and individuals of the Standing Council on Europe. This is a formal notice under section 17(1) of FOISA that the Scottish Government does not have the information you have requested.
d) All minutes and notes taken of telephone communications between the First Minister and the Chinese Government since July 2016.
This will be answered in response to another request you have made under the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002, case number FOI/17/01605, which requests this and other information.
e) All briefings provided for the First Minister by individuals on her Standing Council on Europe since July 2016.
While our aim is to provide information whenever possible, in this instance the Scottish Government does not have the information you have requested as no written briefings have been provided to the First Minister by individuals on the Standing Council on Europe. The Standing Council works collectively. This is a formal notice under section 17(1) of FOISA that the Scottish Government does not have the information you have requested.
Detected exemption language
An exemption under section 38(1)(b) of FOISA (personal information) applies to a small amount of the information requested because it is personal data of a third party, ie contact details of individuals, and disclosing it would contravene the data protection principles in Schedule 1 to the Data Protection Act 1998. 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. Minutes of meetings of the Standing Council on Europe can be found at : http://www.gov.scot/Topics/International/Europe/eu-referendum/FirstMinistersStandingCouncilonEurope/StandingCouncilonEuropeAgendaandMinutes Under section 25(1) of FOISA, we do not have to give you information which is already reasonably accessible to you. This is a formal notice under section 17(1) of FOISA that the Scottish Government does not have 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.