Transparency index

Scottish Government FOI releases

21,099releases indexed
37,554attachments found
29.7avg calendar days
7,804partially withheld
2017-11-17oldest in sample
2026-05-15newest in sample

Outcomes

partially withheld 7,804 unclear 6,977 not held 2,955 released 1,470 already published 656 cost limit 586 clarification 342 withheld 235 transferred 74

Top Exemptions

s.38(1) 4772 s.20 4130 s.34(1) 3567 s.39(2) 3342 s.30 2791 s.17(1) 2667 s.25(1) 2327 s.10(4) 1920 s.11(2) 1518 s.29(1) 1135 s.2 1129 s.3 891

Timeline

2026-05 339 2026-04 312 2026-03 217 2026-02 589 2026-01 479 2025-12 177 2025-11 263 2025-10 217

Directorate Profiles

Communications and Ministerial Support Directorate 1,211 releases · 27.9 avg days Marine Directorate 933 releases · 29.6 avg days Energy and Climate Change Directorate 895 releases · 31.1 avg days Learning Directorate 821 releases · 34.4 avg days Economic Development Directorate 684 releases · 40.0 avg days Constitution Directorate 652 releases · 36.1 avg days Population Health Directorate 637 releases · 28.7 avg days People Directorate 611 releases · 25.8 avg days
Clear
65 matching releases

Independence campaigning spend: FOI release

The amount spent on independence campaigning.

FOI not held 45 score 22 working days over deadline correspondence spending s.17(1)
Published
2026-03-09
Reference
FOI/202500499772
Directorate
Constitution Directorate
Topic
Constitution and democracy, Public sector

Lord-Lieutenants cost to the Scottish Government: FOI release

1. The total annual cost to the Scottish Government associated with Lord-Lieutenants in Scotland for each of the last three financial years (or the most recent years available). 2. If held, please provide a breakdown of these costs by individual Lord-Lieutenancy area). If no funding is provided to support Lord-Lieuten...

FOI not held 65 score 14 working days correspondence spending 2 attachments
Published
2025-08-11
Reference
FOI/202500473510
Directorate
Constitution Directorate
Topic
Constitution and democracy, Public sector

Leveson Inquiry documentation: FOI release

1. Could you supply all documentation held by the Scottish Government which mentions the Leveson Inquiry, including correspondence sent and received (including internal), briefings, minutes/notes from meetings, analysis, from the last three months? 2. How many times has the Scottish Government been accused of breachin...

FOI not held 70 score 6 working days correspondence briefings meetings spending s.38(1) s.17(1) s.12 2 attachments
Published
2025-02-18
Reference
FOI/202500447097
Directorate
Constitution Directorate
Topic
Constitution and democracy, Public sector

Correspondence on the cancellation of former First Minister's speech: FOI release

How much did it cost to cancel Humza Yousaf's independence speech on April 26 and could you supply all email correspondence and briefings held surrounding this cancellation, as well as a breakdown of costs?

FOI not held 70 score 6 working days correspondence ministers briefings spending s.17(1) s.38(1) s.34(1) 2 attachments
Published
2025-01-09
Reference
FOI/202400438810
Directorate
Constitution Directorate
Topic
Constitution and democracy, Public sector

Nuclear Weapons and the Scottish Security and Intelligence Agency: FOI release

1. Could you supply all briefings, analysis and correspondence, including internal, held by the Scottish Government regarding nuclear power, from 2024? 2. In the Building a New Scotland paper about defence, it is claimed "This Scottish Government would seek NATO membership for an independent Scotland via NATO 's 'open...

FOI not held 70 score 20 working days correspondence ministers briefings spending s.12 s.17(1) s.29(1) s.25(1) 2 attachments
Published
2024-09-03
Reference
FOI/202400413946
Directorate
Constitution Directorate
Topic
Constitution and democracy, Public sector

Correspondence regarding Independent Scotland: FOI release

1.All meetings held or attended by Jamie Hepburn between July 1 2023 and the date of this FOI, including minutes/notes from them, and a list of attendees. 2. How many social media videos about independence have been created by the Scottish Government so far this year? List of these videos and the costs of creating the...

FOI not held 70 score 27 working days over deadline correspondence ministers briefings meetings spending s.2 s.5T s.17(1) s.38(1) s.34(1) s.30 s.25(1) s.36(1) s.12 4 attachments
Published
2024-08-14
Reference
FOI/202300377797
Directorate
Constitution Directorate
Topic
Constitution and democracy, Public sector

Meeting between the Prince of Wales and the First Minister: EIR release

You asked a number of questions relating to a meeting which took place between the Prince of Wales and the First Minister, the Rt Hon Nicola Sturgeon MSP, at the Palace of Holyroodhouse on 23 June 2015. As the information you have requested is ‘environmental information’ for the purposes of the Environmental Informati...

FOI/EIR not held 70 score 21 working days over deadline correspondence ministers meetings s.20 s.39(2) s.6(1) s.11(2) s.34(1) s.10(4) 4 attachments
Published
2024-03-19
Reference
202200301450
Directorate
Constitution Directorate
Topic
Public sector

Migration to Scotland after independence paper: FOI release

Information regarding the Migration to Scotland after independence paper. Can I please request the following information? 1. How many civil servants worked on the paper? 2. How much money was spent on the paper? Can this be broken down into staffing costs, alongside printing and other costs etc. 3. Was any advice fr...

FOI not held 45 score 19 working days correspondence spending s.17(1)
Published
2024-01-22
Reference
FOI/202300383680
Directorate
Constitution Directorate
Topic
Constitution and democracy, Public sector

Meetings about a second independence referendum: FOI release

Minutes of meetings held between Nicola Sturgeon and Angus Robertson on preparations for a second independence referendum, including on a prospectus. Minutes of all meetings held between Nicola Sturgeon and the team working (including civil servants) on preparations for a second independence referendum, including on a ...

FOI not held 45 score 41 working days over deadline correspondence ministers special advisers meetings s.38(1) s.34(1) s.29(1) s.17(1)
Published
2023-12-19
Reference
202200280399
Directorate
Constitution Directorate
Topic
Constitution and democracy, Public sector

Staff remuneration costs and number of staff who worked on Operation Unicorn: FOI release

I would like to know the staff remuneration costs and number of staff who worked on Operation Unicorn in the Scottish Government over the past two years, in particular, the Protocol and Honours Team. I would also like to know if the staff costs of the Protocol and Honours team as well as the staff numbers in that team ...

FOI not held 40 score 18 working days correspondence spending
Published
2023-11-23
Reference
202200326095
Directorate
Constitution Directorate
Topic
Public sector

Correspondence from public relating to second independence referendum: FOI release

Any correspondence (e-mails and letters) from the public to MSPs in the Scottish Government (meaning all SNP and Green MSPs) regarding a second independence referendum from 29 March 2023 to present. If this is too broad of a search, to narrow it down, I am looking for all correspondence (e-mails and letters) in which ...

FOI not held 70 score 16 working days correspondence ministers s.38(1) s.34(1) 2 attachments
Published
2023-11-16
Reference
FOI/202300375668
Directorate
Constitution Directorate
Topic
Constitution and democracy, Public sector

SNP's funding for their Independence campaign and how much taxpayers contribute: FOI release

All information in regard to the SNP's funding for their Independence campaign and how much taxpayers contribute.This includes court proceedings (against the UK govt for another referendum vote), all TV advertising, posters, flyers, mail, and radio campaigns.

FOI not held 45 score 14 working days correspondence spending s.17(1)
Published
2023-11-09
Reference
202200330395
Directorate
Constitution Directorate
Topic
Public sector

Definitions according to the Scottish Ministerial Code: FOI release

Noting that: 'the ‘Scottish Ministerial Code’ states that Scottish Government resources can only be used by Scottish Ministers for official government business and must not be used for party political purposes,1.3 (i) Ministers must not use public resources for party political purposes'. A definition of the term ‘publ...

FOI not held 45 score 13 working days correspondence ministers s.1 s.10 s.17(1) s.7
Published
2023-11-08
Reference
202200332845
Directorate
Constitution Directorate
Topic
Public sector

Scottish Government policy on publishing FOI responses: FOI release

What is the Scottish Government policy on publishing FOI responses? Please send any written guidance or documents outlining the procedure. How many FOI responses have been issued so far in calendar year 2023 and of those how many have been published on the Scottish Government website? Please give a reason why unpubl...

FOI/EIR not held 70 score 20 working days correspondence spending s.20 2 attachments
Published
2023-10-11
Reference
202300363939
Directorate
Constitution Directorate
Topic
Public sector

Appointment of Jamie Hepburn as Minister for Independence: FoI release

1. All correspondence received and sent by the Scottish Government from members of the public and outside organisations since March 27 2023 regarding the appointment of Jamie Hepburn as independence minister. 2. All analysis done by the government on the pros and cons of adopting the Euro if Scotland became an independ...

FOI not held 70 score 19 working days correspondence ministers spending s.38(1) s.34(1) s.17(1) 2 attachments
Published
2023-09-19
Reference
FOI/202300366091
Directorate
Constitution Directorate
Topic
Constitution and democracy, Money and tax, Public sector

The King's Scottish Coronation protests: FOI release

Despite being a tiny percentage of the crowd attending the processions associated with H M The King receiving The Honours of Scotland, republican protestors dominated the outside proceedings by virtue of their prominent position and use of a megaphone. This gave a extremely unbalanced and unfair representation of the a...

FOI not held 45 score 15 working days correspondence ministers s.17(1)
Published
2023-08-15
Reference
FOI/202300365067
Directorate
Constitution Directorate
Topic
Public sector

Average response times for an FOI request: FOI release

1) The mean, median and maximum response times for an FOI to the Scottish Government over the last 12 months. 2) The number and percentage of FOIs that were referred to Special Advisers for each month of the last five years. 3) The mean, median and maximum response times for all FOIs referred to Special Advisers over t...

FOI/EIR not held 70 score 22 working days over deadline correspondence ministers special advisers s.2 s.3 s.20 s.17(1) 2 attachments
Published
2023-05-25
Reference
FOI/202300352495
Directorate
Constitution Directorate
Topic
Public sector

Breakdown of FOI late responses in past five years: FOI release

For each month of the last 5 years, what percentage of FOI requests received by the Scottish Government receive a late response (based on timescales set out on FOISA). For each month of the last 5 years, the number of FOI requests received by the Scottish Government that receive a late response.

FOI not held 70 score 19 working days correspondence s.25(1) s.17(1) 2 attachments
Published
2023-05-25
Reference
FOI/202300352496
Directorate
Constitution Directorate
Topic
Public sector

Slowest Freedom of Information (FOI) responses in last 5 years: FOI release

The top 3 slowest FOI responses in each of the last 5 years, including the total length of time it took to respond to each FOI and a short description of the subject of the FOI.

FOI/EIR not held 70 score 20 working days correspondence s.20 s.17(1) 2 attachments
Published
2023-05-24
Reference
FOI/202300352490
Directorate
Constitution Directorate
Topic
Public sector

The ten comparator countries in building a New Scotland: FOI release

On the 14th June 2022 the Scottish Government published the first in a series of papers called ‘Building a New Scotland’. The paper ‘Independence in the Modern World. Wealthier, Happier, Fairer: Why not Scotland?’ is described as setting out ‘a detailed analysis of the UKs performance across a range of economic and soc...

FOI not held 45 score 20 working days correspondence ministers contracts spending s.4 s.5 s.9 s.10 s.11 s.12 s.17(1)
Published
2022-09-05
Reference
FOI/202200311070
Directorate
Constitution Directorate
Topic
Public sector

FOI reviews: FOI release

For each month of the last 5 years, what percentage of FOI requests received by the Scottish Government are reviewed. For each month of the last 5 years, what percentage of FOI reviews to the Scottish Government are partially or fully upheld.

FOI/EIR not held 70 score 19 working days correspondence ministers s.20 s.17(1) 2 attachments
Published
2022-07-22
Reference
FOI/202200306902
Directorate
Constitution Directorate
Topic
Public sector

Government staff dedicated to dealing with Freedom of Information requests: FOI release

The number of Scottish Government staff dedicated to dealing with freedom of information requests for the last five financial years. The total salary costs for Scottish Government staff dedicated to dealing with freedom of information requests for the last five financial years. The number of external consultants e.g. l...

FOI not held 40 score 20 working days correspondence spending
Published
2022-07-21
Reference
FOI/202200303320
Directorate
Constitution Directorate
Topic
Public sector

FOI late responses: FOI release

For each month of the last 5 years, what percentage of FOI requests received by the Scottish Government receive a late response (based on timescales set out on FOISA). For each month of the last 5 years, the number of FOI requests received by the Scottish Government that receive a late response.

FOI/EIR not held 70 score 19 working days correspondence s.20 s.17(1) 2 attachments
Published
2022-07-18
Reference
FOI/202200306899
Directorate
Constitution Directorate
Topic
Public sector

Preparations and costs of Independence Prospectus: FOI release

In September, the First Minister announced that Scottish Government civil servants would start work on a detailed prospectus for independence (as reported here: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-scotland politics-58478187). On 4th November 2021, I submitted a Freedom of Information request which asked for informat...

FOI not held 70 score 20 working days correspondence ministers meetings spending s.17(1) s.29(1) 2 attachments
Published
2022-05-05
Reference
FOI/202200283353
Directorate
Constitution Directorate
Topic
Constitution and democracy, Public sector