FOI/202600516908 · FOI · not held
Food provision queries: FOI release
Information requested
Please provide the following information for the three most recent financial years for which complete data are held (2022/23, 2023/24 and 2024/25, or the latest equivalent three-year period):
1. Total number of meals served across all premises/institutions managed or funded by your authority (e.g. schools, hospitals, prisons, police canteens, or any other public-facing catering service).
2. Number and/or proportion of those meals that were supplied as halal (i.e. using halal-certified meat, or prepared to halal dietary standards).Please break this down by institution type where possible (schools, NHS hospitals, prisons, police facilities, other).
3. Total expenditure on food provision across the above institutions.
4. Expenditure specifically on halal food (or halal-certified meat/ingredients).If exact halal spend is not recorded, please provide the best available figure or estimate and explain the basis.
5. Any available data on the number of halal meal requests or uptake rates from service users (pupils, patients, prisoners, staff, etc.).
6. Copies of any current policies, guidelines, procurement frameworks or contracts that relate to the provision of halal or religious dietary requirements.
7. Any internal reports, assessments or equality impact assessments produced since 1 April 2022 that discuss the provision or demand for halal food in your institutions.
Response
Q - Please provide the following information for the three most recent financial years for which complete data are held (2022/23, 2023/24 and 2024/25, or the latest equivalent three-year period):
The Scottish Government only holds information relating to meals provided, through its catering contract. This contract is also used by Social Security Scotland which is a separate executive agency of the Scottish Government. The information provided below only relates to the core Scottish Government. Should you wish to obtain information that relates to Social Security Scotland’s use of the contract please contact foi@socialsecurity.gov.scot.
We do not hold information relating to any other organisations, such as those you included in your request as examples. To assist you in obtaining the information that you have requested from these organisations we provide the following contact details: Police Scotland - foi@scotland.police.uk Scottish Prison Service - SPSFOI@prisons.gov.scot Schools - requests should be directed to the relevant local authority Hospitals - requests should be directed to the appropriate NHS Board
1. Total number of meals served across all premises/institutions managed or funded by your authority (e.g. schools, hospitals, prisons, police canteens, or any other public-facing catering service).
The table below provides the total number of meals served through the core Scottish Government’s catering contract. We have included a breakdown of the different meal types that make up these totals:
01.04.2023 – 31.03.2024 01.04.2024 – 31.03.2025 01.04.2025 – 31.03.2026 Hot Meals 70,067 69,666 91,680 Soup of the Day 47,132 57,038 57,297 Jacket Potato 874 12,193 11,926 Sandwiches/Paninis 44,001 50,320 43,540 Salad Boxes 11,628 13,885 15,047 Pies/ Snacks 3,926 5,170 4,916 YEAR 01.04.2023 – 31.03.2024 01.04.2024 – 31.03.2025 01.04.2025 – 31.03.2026 TOTAL No. of meals 177,628 208,272 224,406
2. Number and/or proportion of those meals that were supplied as halal (i.e. using halal/certified meat, or prepared to halal dietary standards). Please break this down by institution type where possible (schools, NHS hospitals, prisons, police facilities, other).
The number of halal meals served through the core Scottish Government’s catering contract (excluding Social Security Scotland) are as follows:
01.04.2023 – 1.03.2024 01.04.2024 - 31.03.2025 01.04.2025 – 31.03.2026 No. of halal meals 134 84 114
3. Total expenditure on food provision across the above institutions.
We do not hold separate data for food and drink, therefore the following financial information are the totals of both food and drink purchased through the core Scottish Government’s catering contract (excluding Social Security Scotland) sites for the period requested.
YEAR 01.04.2023 – 31.03.2024 01.04.2024 – 31.03.2025 01.04.2025 – 31.03.2026 Total Food & Beverage Spend £886,209.00 £971,919.00 £1,169,298.00
4. Expenditure specifically on halal food (or halal-certified meat/ingredients). If exact halal spend is not recorded, please provide the best available figure or estimate and explain the basis.
The total expenditure specifically on halal food through the core Scottish Government’s catering contract (excluding Social Security Scotland) are as follows:
YEAR 01.04.2023 – 31.03.2024 01.04.2024 – 31.03.2025 01.04.2025 – 31.03.2026 Amount spent on halal food £249.24 £176.40 £283.86
5. Any available data on the number of halal meal requests or uptake rates from service users (pupils, patients, prisoners, staff, etc.)
Any requests made for the supply of halal meals are made directly with the catering contractor via the hospitality mailbox.
YEAR 01.04.2023 - 31.03.2024 01.04.2024 – 31.03.2025 01.04.2025 – 31.03.2026 No. of halal requests 7 3 5
6. Copies of any current policies, guidelines, procurement frameworks or contracts that relate to the provision of halal or religious dietary requirements.
The Scottish Government does not have any procurement frameworks, contracts, or formal guidance relating to the provision of halal through its catering contract. Information on any current or applicable policies relating to the provision of halal or other religious dietary requirements within the Scottish Government is available on the Scottish Government website and can be accessed via the “Policies” section at www.gov.scot.
While our aim is to provide information wherever possible, in this instance the Scottish Government does not hold the information you have requested. This is a formal notice under section 17(1) of the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002 that the Scottish Government does not hold the information requested.
7. Any internal reports, assessments or equality impact assessments produced since 1 April 2022 that discuss the provision or demand for halal food in your institutions.
No internal reports or assessments have been produced since 1 April 2022 that discuss the provision or demand for halal food. Attached you will find the latest Equality Impact Assessment carried out for the current catering contract, while halal is not directly mentioned, reference is made to religious dietary requirements which would include halal food.
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. This is a formal notice under section 17(1) of the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002 that the Scottish Government does not hold the information requested.
About FOI
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Detected exemption language
This is a formal notice under section 17(1) of the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002 that the Scottish Government does not hold the information requested. This is a formal notice under section 17(1) of the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002 that the Scottish Government does not hold the information requested.