FOI/202500448641 · FOI · partially withheld
Dialogue with the General Teaching Council for Scotland (GTCS) about known issues: FOI release
Information requested
All the information held by the Scottish Government with regard to the regular dialogue with the GTCS about the known issues the Scottish Government has had since the Parliamentary Question answer was provided to Oliver Mundell MSP.
Response
I enclose a copy of some of the information you requested.
Some of the information you have requested is available from the Scottish Government FOI website specifically FOI 202200327461 Child protection and safeguarding: FOI release - gov.scot; FOI 202400443517 General Teaching Council for Scotland (GTCS) child protection and safeguarding correspondence: FOI release - gov.scot; and FOI 202200287715 Communication regarding child protection and safeguarding concerns: FOI release - gov.scot . The relevant documents are highlighted in the tables below.
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(s) listed, then please contact me again and I will send you a paper copy.
Already released FOI 202200327461
Doc no Date Description Release full/partial 1 21/4/2021 Letter from GTCS to SG partial 2 11/5/2021 Letter from SG to GTCS partial 3 12/8/2021 Note of meeting partial 4a 22/12/2021 Email from GTCS to SG partial 22/12/2021 Email from SG to GTCS partial 4b 25/6/2021 GTCS FOI partial 4c GTCS Education Reform consultation response partial 4d Court of session judgement partial 5 9/2/2022 Email from GTCS to SG partial 5a 3/2/2022 Email from SG to GTCS partial 5b 2/2/2022 Email from GTCS to SG partial 5c 1/2/2022 Email from SG to GTCS partial 6 25/2/2022 Email from GTCS to SG partial 7 2/3/2022 Email from SG to GTCS partial 8 21/04/2022 Email from SG to GTCS partial 8a 23/05/2022 Email from SG to GTCS partial 8b 01/06/2022 Email from GTCS to SG partial 8c 10/06/2022 Email from GTCS to SG partial 8d 24/06/2022 Email from SG to GTCS partial 8e 28/06/2022 Email from GTCS to SG partial 8f 05/07/2022 Email from GTCS to SG partial 8g 05/07/2022 GTCS Case study Examples partial 8h 08/07/2022 Email from SG to GTCS partial 8i 08/07/2022 Email from GTCS to SG partial 8j 05/09/2022 Email from SG to GTCS partial 8k Document partial 9 06/09/2022 Email from SG to GTCS partial 10 07/09/2022 Email from SG to GTCS partial 10a 29/09/2022 Email from GTCS to SG partial 10b GTCS Role and Case Study Examples partial 10c 03/10/2022 Email from SG to GTCS partial 10d 06/10/2022 Email from GTCS to SG partial 10e 06/10/2022 Email from GTCS to SG partial 11 12/09/2022 Email from SG to GTCS partial 12 29/07/2022 Email from SG to GTCS partial 12a 01/08/2022 Email from GTCS to SG partial 12b 01/08/2022 Email from SG to GTCS partial 13 09/11/2020 Email from GTCS to SG partial 14 17/05/2021 Email from SG to GTCS partial 14a 17/05/2021 Email from GTCS to SG partial 15 02/03/2022 Email from SG to GTCS partial 15a 02/03/2022 Email from GTCS to SG partial 16 21/03/2022 Email from SG to GTCS partial 17 16/05/2022 Email from SG to GTCS partial 17a 17/05/2022 Email from GTCS to SG partial
Already released FOI 202400443517
Doc no Date Description Release full/partial 3 12/9/2024 Note of Meeting between the Cabinet Secretary for Education & Skills and GTCS regarding their Fitness to Teach Insight Report partial 4 13/9/2024 Email exchange between SG and GTCS partial 5 18/9/2024 GTCS letter to Cabinet Secretary for Education and Skills partial 10 8/11/2024 Email exchange between Cabinet Secretary for Education and Skills and DS partial
Already released FOI 202200287715
Doc no Date Description Release full/partial 5 February 2022 SG and GTCS email exchange partial 6 & 6A 25 February 2022 GTCS letter to SG and attachment partial 7 2 March 2022 SG letter to GTCS partial
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 exemptions under sections s.30(b)(ii) (free and frank exchange of views and s.38(1)(b) (personal information) of FOISA applies to that information. The reasons why these exemptions apply are explained in this letter.
Reasons for not providing information
Exemptions under section s.30(b)(ii) of FOISA applies to some of the information you have requested.
Section 30: Prejudice to effective conduct of public affairs
Sections 30(b)(ii) of FOISA exempts information from disclosure where disclosure would, or would be likely to, inhibit substantially free and frank provision of advice and free and frank exchange of views for the purposes of deliberation.
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 some public interest in release because of an abiding interest in open and transparent government. However, this is outweighed by the public interest in maintaining private space to discuss topics at preliminary stages of consideration.
Section 38: Personal Information
Section 38 contains four exemptions, all relating to personal information. Information is exempt from disclosure if it is: (i) the personal data of the person requesting the information (section 38(1)(a)); (ii) the personal data of a third party – but only if other conditions apply (section 38(1)(b)); (iii) personal census information (section 38(1)(c)); or (iv) a deceased person’s health record (section 38(1)(d)). This is not subject to the ‘public interest test’.
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.
Detected exemption language
Under section 25(1) of FOISA, we do not have to give you information which is already reasonably accessible to you. Already released FOI 202200327461 Doc no Date Description Release full/partial 1 21/4/2021 Letter from GTCS to SG partial 2 11/5/2021 Letter from SG to GTCS partial 3 12/8/2021 Note of meeting partial 4a 22/12/2021 Email from GTCS to SG partial 22/12/2021 Email from SG to GTCS partial 4b 25/6/2021 GTCS FOI partial 4c GTCS Education Reform consultation response partial 4d Court of session judgement partial 5 9/2/2022 Email from GTCS to SG partial 5a 3/2/2022 Email from SG to GTCS partial 5b 2/2/2022 Email from GTCS to SG partial 5c 1/2/2022 Email from SG to GTCS partial 6 25/2/2022 Email from GTCS to SG partial 7 2/3/2022 Email from SG to GTCS partial 8 21/04/2022 Email from SG to GTCS partial 8a 23/05/2022 Email from SG to GTCS partial 8b 01/06/2022 Email from GTCS to SG partial 8c 10/06/2022 Email from GTCS to SG partial 8d 24/06/2022 Email from SG to GTCS partial 8e 28/06/2022 Email from GTCS to SG partial 8f 05/07/2022 Email from GTCS to SG partial 8g 05/07/2022 GTCS Case study Examples partial 8h 08/07/2022 Email from SG to GTCS partial 8i 08/07/2022 Email from GTCS to SG partial 8j 05/09/2022 Email from SG to GTCS partial 8k Document partial 9 06/09/2022 Email from SG to GTCS partial 10 07/09/2022 Email from SG to GTCS partial 10a 29/09/2022 Email from GTCS to SG partial 10b GTCS Role and Case Study Examples partial 10c 03/10/2022 Email from SG to GTCS partial 10d 06/10/2022 Email from GTCS to SG partial 10e 06/10/2022 Email from GTCS to SG partial 11 12/09/2022 Email from SG to GTCS partial 12 29/07/2022 Email from SG to GTCS partial 12a 01/08/2022 Email from GTCS to SG partial 12b 01/08/2022 Email from SG to GTCS partial 13 09/11/2020 Email from GTCS to SG partial 14 17/05/2021 Email from SG to GTCS partial 14a 17/05/2021 Email from GTCS to SG partial 15 02/03/2022 Email from SG to GTCS partial 15a 02/03/2022 Email from GTCS to SG partial 16 21/03/2022 Email from SG to GTCS partial 17 16/05/2022 Email from SG to GTCS partial 17a 17/05/2022 Email from GTCS to SG partial Already released FOI 202400443517 Doc no Date Description Release full/partial 3 12/9/2024 Note of Meeting between the Cabinet Secretary for Education & Skills and GTCS regarding their Fitness to Teach Insight Report partial 4 13/9/2024 Email exchange between SG and GTCS partial 5 18/9/2024 GTCS letter to Cabinet Secretary for Education and Skills partial 10 8/11/2024 Email exchange between Cabinet Secretary for Education and Skills and DS partial Already released FOI 202200287715 Doc no Date Description Release full/partial 5 February 2022 SG and GTCS email exchange partial 6 & 6A 25 February 2022 GTCS letter to SG and attachment partial 7 2 March 2022 SG letter to GTCS partial 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 exemptions under sections s.30(b)(ii) (free and frank exchange of views and s.38(1)(b) (personal information) of FOISA applies to that information. The reasons why these exemptions apply are explained in this letter. Reasons for not providing information Exemptions under section s.30(b)(ii) of FOISA applies to some of the information you have requested. Section 30: Prejudice to effective conduct of public affairs Sections 30(b)(ii) of FOISA exempts information from disclosure where disclosure would, or would be likely to, inhibit substantially free and frank provision of advice and free and frank exchange of views for the purposes of deliberation.