FOI/202500497559 · FOI · partially withheld
Correspondence regarding the submission of Scottish Government Initiated Written Parliamentary Questions: FOI release
Information requested
“I am writing to request the following information under FOI: All email correspondence between the Scottish Government and Rona Mackay MSP regarding the submission of Scottish Government Initiated Written Parliamentary Questions since 1 March 2025.”
Response
I have enclosed a copy of all information held that falls within the scope of your requested in the annex below.
Some information has been redacted under section 38(1)(b) of the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002. This exemption relates to personal data and applies where disclosure would contravene the data protection principles in Article 5(1) of the GDPR. This exemption is not subject to the ‘public interest test’, therefore, we are not required to consider if the public interest in disclosing the information outweighs the public interest in applying the exemption.
Government Initiated Questions (GIQs) are a recognised parliamentary mechanism for the Scottish Government to provide information to the Parliament. As with all parliamentary questions, these questions must be lodged by an MSP who is not a minister. In the case of GIQs, this is usually an MSP from the same party as the Government. Rona Mackay MSP, in her role as an SNP Chief Whip, is frequently asked to lodge GIQs.
The Scottish Parliament has further information on parliamentary questions, including a section of GIQs, available at: https://www.parliament.scot/-/media/files/chamber-office/guidance-on-parliamentary- questions.pdf.
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
Some information has been redacted under section 38(1)(b) of the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002. This exemption relates to personal data and applies where disclosure would contravene the data protection principles in Article 5(1) of the GDPR. This exemption is not subject to the ‘public interest test’, therefore, we are not required to consider if the public interest in disclosing the information outweighs the public interest in applying the exemption.