202200327199 · FOI · partially withheld
Correspondence from the public regarding the independence economic paper: FOI release
Information requested
What correspondence (e-mails and letters) has John Swinney had from the public regarding the independence economic paper that was published this month?
What correspondence (e-mails and letters) has Kate Forbes had from the public regarding the independence economic paper that was published this month?
What correspondence (e-mails and letters) has Nicola Sturgeon had from the public regarding the independence economic paper that was published this month?
What correspondence (e-mails and letters) has Angus Robertson had from the public regarding the independence economic paper that was published this month?
Response
Following an extensive search, we have not identified any information in scope which was sent to John Swinney or Kate Forbes. This is a formal notice under S.17(1) of FOISA that the Scottish Government does not have the information you have requested.
For your third and fourth requests, five items of correspondence are enclosed at Annex A. Four items were addressed to the First Minister, Nicola Sturgeon, and one was addressed to Angus Robertson.
An exemption under section s.38(1)(b) of FOISA applies to some of the information you have requested because it is the personal data of a third party, i.e. names and contact details of individuals, 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.
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
This is a formal notice under S.17(1) of FOISA that the Scottish Government does not have the information you have requested. An exemption under section s.38(1)(b) of FOISA applies to some of the information you have requested because it is the personal data of a third party, i.e. names and contact details of individuals, 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.