FOI/202500461145 · FOI · partially withheld
Minister for Business and Employment visit to Barcelona: FOI release
Information requested
Could you supply the full costs of Richard Lochhead's government trip to Barcelona in November 2024, including a full breakdown of his expenses and his officials expenses, i.e travel and hotel costs, as well as details of how they got there and where they stayed?
Could you supply all documentation held about this trip, including minutes/notes from all meetings he had, briefings, correspondence setting up the trip and analysis afterwards? Between October 1 2024 and December 1 2024?”
Response
I will respond to each of your requests in turn:
A) Please see a table below providing the cost breakdown of Richard Lochhead’s trip to Barcelona and the two Scottish Government officials who accompanied him.
Hotel Flights Travel & Subsistence Richard Lochhead NH Constanza - £660.52 Ryanair Return Edi – Barcelona £339.84 £119.52 Private Office Official NH Constanza - £660.52 Ryanair Return Edi – Barcelona £339.84 £123.63 Team Leader, New Market Clusters NH Constanza - £756.43 British Airways Return Glasgow – Barcelona via London Heathrow £698.67 £113.53
B) I attach a copy of the information requested; please, see Supporting Document 1.
While our aim is to provide information whenever possible, in this instance we are unable to provide some of the information you have requested under the following exemptions of FOISA and FOIA that apply to sections of the information: An exemption under section 38(1)(b) (personal information) of FOISA applies to some of the information you have requested as it is personal data of a third party and disclosing it would contravene the data protection principles in Article 5(1) of the General Data Protection Regulation and in section 34(1) of the Data Protection Act 2018. 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.
An exemption under section 33(1)(b) of FOISA (commercial interests) applies to some of the information requested. This exemption applies because disclosure of this particular information would, or would be likely to, prejudice substantially the commercial interests of the companies mentioned. Disclosing this information would reveal confidential information regarding those companies. This exemption is subject to the ‘public interest test’. Therefore, taking account of all the 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.
Exemptions under sections 30(b)(i) and 30(b)(ii) of FOISA (free and frank advice and exchange of views) apply to some of the information requested. These exemptions apply because disclosure would, or would be likely to, inhibit substantially the free and frank provision of advice and exchange of views for the purposes of deliberation. The exemptions recognise the need for Ministers to have a private space within which to seek views from officials as well as external stakeholders. These exemptions are subject to the ‘public interest test’. Therefore, taking account of all the circumstances of this case, we have considered if the public interest in disclosing the information outweighs the public interest in applying the exemptions. We have found that, on balance, the public interest lies in favour of upholding the exemptions. We recognise that there is a public interest in disclosing information as part of open, transparent and accountable government, and to inform public debate. However, there is a greater public interest in allowing a private space within which officials can provide free and frank advice and views to Ministers. An exemption under section 28(1) of FOISA (relations within the UK) applies to some of the information requested. This exemption applies because disclosure would, or would be likely to, prejudice substantially relations between the Scottish Government and the UK Government. It is essential for the effective administration of the UK as a whole that there should be regular, and often private, communications between the Scottish Government, the UK Government and the other devolved administrations. The release of these communications will mean that the UK Government is likely to be more reluctant to share such information with the Scottish Government in future, which would reduce both the frequency and openness of communications between the Scottish Government and other UK administrations.
This exemption is subject to the ‘public interest test’. Therefore, taking account of all the 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. We recognise that there is a public interest in disclosing information as part of open, transparent and accountable government, and to inform public debate. Some information has been withheld because it is out of the scope of your request.
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Detected exemption language
While our aim is to provide information whenever possible, in this instance we are unable to provide some of the information you have requested under the following exemptions of FOISA and FOIA that apply to sections of the information: An exemption under section 38(1)(b) (personal information) of FOISA applies to some of the information you have requested as it is personal data of a third party and disclosing it would contravene the data protection principles in Article 5(1) of the General Data Protection Regulation and in section 34(1) of the Data Protection Act 2018. 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. An exemption under section 33(1)(b) of FOISA (commercial interests) applies to some of the information requested. This exemption applies because disclosure of this particular information would, or would be likely to, prejudice substantially the commercial interests of the companies mentioned. This exemption is subject to the ‘public interest test’.