Transparency index

Scottish Government FOI releases

17,099releases indexed
27,856attachments found
30.0avg calendar days
6,297partially withheld
2020-01-10oldest in sample
2026-05-15newest in sample

Outcomes

partially withheld 6,297 unclear 5,710 not held 2,434 released 1,096 already published 565 cost limit 491 clarification 264 withheld 186 transferred 56

Top Exemptions

s.38(1) 3926 s.20 3344 s.34(1) 3080 s.39(2) 2635 s.30 2273 s.17(1) 2227 s.25(1) 1918 s.10(4) 1572 s.11(2) 1292 s.2 942 s.29(1) 927 s.3 712

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 1,007 releases · 28.2 avg days Energy and Climate Change Directorate 813 releases · 30.8 avg days Marine Directorate 678 releases · 28.5 avg days Learning Directorate 617 releases · 35.4 avg days Population Health Directorate 557 releases · 29.0 avg days Constitution Directorate 532 releases · 36.5 avg days Economic Development Directorate 516 releases · 40.0 avg days Local Government and Housing Directorate 513 releases · 29.3 avg days
Clear
153 matching releases

Correspondence regarding foreign state operations: FOI release

1. Any advice, briefings, or guidance issued to Scottish Government Ministers in the calendar year 2025 regarding suspected foreign state influence operations, specifically relating to a suspected Iranian bot network (or "inauthentic coordinated behavior") operating on the social media platform X (formerly Twitter) in ...

FOI unclear 55 score 24 working days over deadline correspondence ministers briefings s.17(1)
Published
2026-04-30
Reference
FOI/202500497033
Directorate
Constitution Directorate
Topic
Constitution and democracy, Public sector

Cost of hiring the National Portrait Gallery for the launch event of the “A Fresh Start with Independence” paper: FOI release

The cost to the Scottish Government of hiring the National Portrait Gallery for the launch event of the “A Fresh Start with Independence” paper on 8 October 2025. Please break down this cost including room hire, catering, and any other relevant costs.

FOI unclear 50 score 20 working days correspondence spending
Published
2026-01-20
Reference
FOI/202500488285
Directorate
Constitution Directorate
Topic
Constitution and democracy, Public sector

Date and author of the first draft of “Your Right to Decide”: FOI release

On what date was the first draft of “Your Right to Decide”, published on 4th September 2025, completed? Who wrote that first draft? If they cannot be named, please state their position (or positions).

FOI unclear 50 score correspondence ministers
Published
2026-01-13
Reference
FOI/202500483272
Directorate
Constitution Directorate
Topic
Constitution and democracy, Work and skills

Your Scotland - Your Referendum consultation costs: FOI release

Please tell me how much the Scottish Government spent on the 'Your Scotland - Your Referendum" Consultation in 2012.

FOI unclear 55 score 20 working days correspondence contracts spending s.17(1)
Published
2025-12-09
Reference
FOI/202500481092
Directorate
Constitution Directorate
Topic
Constitution and democracy, Public sector

United Kingdom Internal Market Act 2020 exclusions: FOI release

The total number of exclusions the Scottish Government has requested for one of its policies or regulations from the market access principles as set out in the United Kingdom Internal Market Act 2020. Please provide the full correspondence detailing these requests from the Scottish Government to the United Kingdom Gove...

FOI unclear 55 score 20 working days correspondence s.17(1)
Published
2025-10-20
Reference
FOI/202500476172
Directorate
Constitution Directorate
Topic
Public sector

Constitution Directorate staffing structure: FOI release

The current staffing structure of the Constitution Directorate, including the number of full-time equivalent (FTE) staff, job titles or roles, and their pay bands. Please also provide this information for the former Constitutional Futures Division as it stood on 1 January 2025.

FOI unclear 50 score 19 working days correspondence briefings
Published
2025-09-23
Reference
FOI/202500468231
Directorate
Constitution Directorate
Topic
Public sector, Work and skills

Staffing and costs involved in coordinating work on the Independence Prospectus: FOI release

Please provide the number of staff employed within the Scottish Government’s Constitutional Futures Division who were involved in coordinating work on the independence prospectus and related activity, broken down by headcount and pay grade, at each of the following dates: 31 March 2022 31 March 2023 31 March 2024 31 M...

FOI unclear 55 score 18 working days correspondence ministers spending s.17(1)
Published
2025-08-27
Reference
FOI/202500475992
Directorate
Constitution Directorate
Topic
Constitution and democracy, Public sector

The Edinburgh Agreement negotiations: FOI release

Could you give me a full list of all those involved in the Edinburgh Agreement negotiations from the Scottish Government side and the dates of when they were involved?

FOI unclear 50 score 20 working days correspondence ministers special advisers
Published
2025-07-08
Reference
FOI/202500465520
Directorate
Constitution Directorate
Topic
Constitution and democracy, Public sector

Civil Servant responsibilities and work from home-related policies: FOI release

1. (Question 1) An account/description of the responsibilities of Policy Officers in the Scottish Government . 2. (Question 2) An account/description of the responsibilities of Policy Managers in the Scottish Government. 3. (Question 3) The Scottish Government’s active work from home-related policies for its policy o...

FOI unclear 80 score 20 working days correspondence ministers s.4 s.17(1) 2 attachments
Published
2025-02-18
Reference
FOI/202500447205
Directorate
Constitution Directorate
Topic
Constitution and democracy, Public sector

Constitutional Futures Division statistics: FOI release

For each calendar month of 2024, up to and including November, please provide the number of civil servants working for the Constitutional Futures Division as of the last working day of the month. For each month, please also provide a list of the outputs (defined however the Scottish Government measures such things) de...

FOI unclear 80 score 18 working days correspondence s.17(1) 2 attachments
Published
2025-01-27
Reference
FOI/202400444183
Directorate
Constitution Directorate
Topic
Constitution and democracy, Public sector

Unpublished draft paper content for the ‘Building a New Scotland’ series: FOI release

As of 6th December 2024, for each unpublished draft in the Building a New Scotland series of independence papers, please provide a list of all persons or organisations outside the Scottish Government who have seen any version of the draft during the process of it being written.

FOI unclear 50 score 24 working days over deadline correspondence
Published
2025-01-27
Reference
FOI/202400444079
Directorate
Constitution Directorate
Topic
Constitution and democracy, Public sector

Final overview paper in the Building a New Scotland series of independence papers: FOI release

On what date did the Scottish Government make the decision to publish just one final overview paper in the Building a New Scotland series of independence papers? On what date was Angus Robertson informed of this decision?

FOI unclear 50 score 24 working days over deadline correspondence ministers meetings
Published
2025-01-27
Reference
FOI/202400444076
Directorate
Constitution Directorate
Topic
Constitution and democracy, Public sector

Constitutional Futures Division meetings with external organisations: FOI release

For the period 6th September 2024 – date, please provide a list of all meetings (in person or virtual) between civil servants working for the Constitutional Futures Division and persons or organisations outside the Scottish Government. Please include the dates on which each meeting took place.

FOI unclear 50 score 0 working days correspondence meetings
Published
2025-01-27
Reference
FOI/202400444093
Directorate
Constitution Directorate
Topic
Constitution and democracy, Public sector

Information on civil servants working in the Constitutional Futures Division: FOI release

1. Please confirm the number of civil servants currently on the unit’s payroll. 2. Please also confirm, in list form, what material has gone from any civil servants on the units payroll to Special Advisors or Ministers since 1 July 2024. I do not want copies of documents, I just require a list of what has been sent to...

FOI unclear 50 score 19 working days correspondence ministers special advisers briefings meetings
Published
2024-10-14
Reference
FOI/202400430106
Directorate
Constitution Directorate
Topic
Constitution and democracy, Public sector

Constitution Futures Division staff numbers and funding: FOI release

1. Please set out how many civil servants per salary band worked within the Constitution Futures Division at any point for each year including 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023 and 2024. 2. Please set out how much SG funding/budget has been allocated to that division’s work for each of those years.

FOI unclear 55 score 20 working days correspondence ministers spending s.17(1)
Published
2024-10-14
Reference
FOI/202400429584
Directorate
Constitution Directorate
Topic
Constitution and democracy, Public sector

Cost of the Building a New Scotland series and the number of staff in the Constitutional Futures Division: FOI release

1) Since 2011, an annual breakdown of costs associated with the production of the White Paper on Independence or Independence Papers as part of the Building a New Scotland Series. 2) Over the same time period, an annual breakdown of the number of Civil Servants working in the Government's "Scottish Government’s Consti...

FOI unclear 55 score 18 working days correspondence ministers spending s.2 s.3 s.17(1)
Published
2024-10-04
Reference
FOI/202400425685
Directorate
Constitution Directorate
Topic
Constitution and democracy, Public sector

Civil servants working to develop the proposed independence prospectus: FOI release

The number of civil servants currently working to develop the proposed independence prospectus. The pay grade of each staff member and the most up to date pay scales.

FOI unclear 50 score 3 working days correspondence
Published
2024-09-24
Reference
FOI/202400426994
Directorate
Constitution Directorate
Topic
Constitution and democracy, Public sector

Foreign exchange and sterling reserves discussion/analysis: FOI release

In the third Building a New Scotland paper, one of the criteria identified for the introduction of the new Scottish pound is “that foreign exchange reserves and sterling reserves are sufficient”. Please provide any discussion or analysis conducted by the Constitutional Futures Division on the possible methods by which...

FOI unclear 75 score 18 working days correspondence 2 attachments
Published
2024-09-18
Reference
FOI/202400426078
Directorate
Constitution Directorate
Topic
Money and tax, Public sector

Continuing work on the Building a New Scotland series of independence papers: FOI release

In light of the result of the UK general election, held on 4th July 2024, what is the Scottish Government’s position on continuing to work on, and publish, the Building a New Scotland series of independence papers?

FOI unclear 50 score 20 working days correspondence ministers
Published
2024-09-13
Reference
FOI/202400422596
Directorate
Constitution Directorate
Topic
Constitution and democracy, Public sector

Recorded decisions for Jamie Hepburn MSP: FOI release

Further to 202400410545, would you please send comparable figures for Jamie Hepburn. For ease, you can send from 1 April 2023 - 31 April 2024, so 13 months. For reference, in FOI 202400410545 which you are referring to, you asked: “Would you please provide the number of decisions recorded on eRDM for the above minist...

FOI unclear 75 score 18 working days correspondence ministers 2 attachments
Published
2024-09-05
Reference
FOI/202400421327
Directorate
Constitution Directorate
Topic
Constitution and democracy, Public sector

Constitutional Futures Division staff statistics: FOI release

I am writing to you to request the following information. 1) The number of civil servants working as part of the Constitutional Futures Division, their grades (including Senior Civil Servant), and the salary costs for the 2023/24 financial year.

FOI unclear 50 score 5 working days correspondence spending
Published
2024-09-03
Reference
FOI/202400425682
Directorate
Constitution Directorate
Topic
Constitution and democracy, Public sector

Number of staff co-ordinating the Building a New Scotland prospectus: FOI release

At 1 April 2024, how many FTE civil servants were in the Constitutional Futures Division, the business area of the Scottish Government responsible for coordination of the Building a New Scotland prospectus series, broken down by pay scales (A-C grade and SCS pay scale).

FOI unclear 50 score 10 working days correspondence
Published
2024-08-30
Reference
FOI/202400410572
Directorate
Constitution Directorate
Topic
Constitution and democracy, Public sector