Information request and response under the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002
FOI Reference: FOI/202400402345
Date received: 1 March 2024
Date responded: 26 March 2024
Request
In a previous FOI you provided me with a copy of all emails sent to the Cabinet Secretary for Social Security and Equalities by Social Security Scotland regarding the Social Justice and Social Security Committee visit to the Dundee Headquarters.
Based on this information I am requesting the following.
Request for Information 1: All emails received by Social Security Scotland that were sent by the Cabinet Secretary for Social Security and Equalities regarding the Social Justice and Social Security Committee visit (before and after the visit took place).
To clarify I mean all emails from the Cabinet Secretary, their office and staff members of their behalf.
Request for Information 2: All emails sent by anyone from Social Security Scotland to the Cabinet Secretary for Social Security and Equalities (their office or staff who work for the cabinet secretary) regarding the visit after the visit took place.
Response
Request for Information 1:
I have interpreted this request to relate to any emails sent to the Cabinet Secretary for Social Justice, as social security sits within her portfolio. The requested information is attached.
An exemption under section 38(1)(b) of FOISA (personal information) applies to a small amount of the information requested because it is personal data of a third party, i.e. names/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.
Request for Information 2:
I have interpreted this request to relate to any emails sent to the Cabinet Secretary for Social Justice,
as social security sits within her portfolio.
Social Security Scotland regularly publishes its responses to Freedom of Information requests. The information you have requested is available as part of our response to Freedom of Information request 202400396728 on the Social Security Scotland website: Social Security Scotland - Information on the communication surrounding a visit by the Social Justice and Social Security Committee: FOI release
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 website listed, then please contact me again and I will send you a paper copy.
About FOI
Social Security Scotland is committed to publishing its response to requests. The Scottish Government also publishes responses to requests. You can view the responses at http://www.gov.scot/foi-responses.
FOI 202400402345