FOI/202300389869 · FOI · partially withheld
Correspondence regarding 2022 census: FOI release
Information requested
'All correspondence, briefings and notes held by the Scottish Government, including internal correspondence, about the Census 2022, from between July 2023 and September 30 2023.'
Response
I enclose a copy of the information you requested in the attached pdf.
Please note that Scottish Government staff routinely only hold correspondence in Microsoft Outlook for a period of 3 months so some correspondence may no longer be available.
Some of the information you have requested is available publicly. Details of where to find this information is contained in the attachment. 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 websites listed, then please contact me again.
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 view for the purposes of advice), s.30(b)(ii) (Free and frank exchange of view for the purposes of deliberation), s.30(c) (prejudice to the effective conduct of public affairs) and s.38(1)(b) (personal information) of FOISA applies to that information. Where these apply, details are noted in the Index of Enclosures in the attachment.
The exemptions under s.30(b)(i), s.30(b)(ii) and s.30(c) 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 exemption. In cases where we have found that, on balance, the public interest lies in favour of upholding the exemption, this has been applied. Where these apply, details are noted in the Index of Enclosures in the attachment.
The exemption under s.38(1)(b) 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.
About FOI
The Scottish Government is committed to publishing all information released in response to Freedom of Information requests. View all FOI responses at http://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. 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 view for the purposes of advice), s.30(b)(ii) (Free and frank exchange of view for the purposes of deliberation), s.30(c) (prejudice to the effective conduct of public affairs) and s.38(1)(b) (personal information) of FOISA applies to that information. The exemptions under s.30(b)(i), s.30(b)(ii) and s.30(c) 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 exemption. In cases where we have found that, on balance, the public interest lies in favour of upholding the exemption, this has been applied.