FOI/202300371786 · FOI · partially withheld
Correspondence regarding resignation and appointment of Transport Minister: FOI release
Information requested
1. All correspondence (emails, whatsapps, texts) regarding the resignation of Kevin Stewart as transport minister and the appointment of his replacement Fiona Hyslop received and sent by the Scottish Government/Transport Scotland between June 1 and August 1
2. Is the Scottish Government/Transport Scotland commissioning a study of the economic impact of the withdrawal of CalMac ferries from South Uist? If not, why?
3. All correspondence (emails, whatsapps, texts) from South Uist residents sent to Transport Scotland/Scottish Government regarding ferry cancellations between June 1 and July 1.
Response
I enclose a copy of some of the information you requested.
Question 1 I enclose a copy of most of the information you requested. 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 an exemption under section 38(1)(b) Third Party Personal Data of FOISA applies to that information. Under 38(1)(b), personal data is exempt from disclosure if this would contravene any of the data protection principles in Article 5(1) of the UK GDPR and in section 34(1) of the DPA 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 this exemption.
Question 2 The answer to your question is that no study of the economic impact of the withdrawal of CalMac ferries from South Uist is being planned or conducted.
Question 3 While our aim is to provide information whenever possible, in this instance Transport Scotland does not have the information you have requested. Transport Scotland receives a large volume of correspondence in different mediums (email, post etc) and it is often no possible from an email address or letter to ascertain if the correspondent is a resident of a particular area or island.
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
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 an exemption under section 38(1)(b) Third Party Personal Data of FOISA applies to that information. Under 38(1)(b), personal data is exempt from disclosure if this would contravene any of the data protection principles in Article 5(1) of the UK GDPR and in section 34(1) of the DPA 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 this exemption.