FOI/202400435307 · FOI · partially withheld
Former Deputy Director, Directorate for More Homes WhatsApp messages during the Covid 19 pandemic: FOI release
Information requested
Joe Brown's WhatsApp messages from the Covid 19 pandemic.
Response
I have taken the period of your request to apply from 21 January 2020 when the World Health Organisation published its ‘Novel Coronavirus (2019-nCoV) Situation Report, up until 30 April 2022 when the then remaining Covid-19 restrictions were lifted in Scotland.
Please find the information requested attached at Annex A. Some of the information has been redacted:
Under Section 29 (1) (a) of FOISA. The information has been withheld because it relates to the formulation or development of Scottish Government Policy. This exemption is subject to the ‘public interest test’. Therefore, taking account of all the circumstances of this request, 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 some public interest in release in favour of open and transparent government. However, this is outweighed by the public interest in maintaining private space to discuss topics at preliminary stages of consideration. Under Section 38(1) (b) of FOISA. The information has been withheld because it is personal data. Personal data is defined in the Data Protection Act 2018 as information relating to an identified or identifiable living individual i.e. if a person could directly or indirectly be identified from the information it is personal data.
About FOI
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Detected exemption language
Some of the information has been redacted: Under Section 29 (1) (a) of FOISA. This exemption is subject to the ‘public interest test’. Therefore, taking account of all the circumstances of this request, 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. Under Section 38(1) (b) of FOISA.