Scottish Government breaking purdah rules: FOI release

Information request and response under the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002.


FOI reference: FOI/17/01472
Date received: 28 June 2017
Date responded: 5 July 2017

Information requested

" … the instances in which complaints have been made about the Scottish Government breaking purdah rules for the 2017 General Election, 2017 Local Elections, 2016 Scottish Parliament Election, 2014 Independence Referendum, 2014 European Elections, 2012 Local Elections, 2011 Scottish Parliament Elections and 2009 European Elections. I would like occasions where the complaint has been upheld and where it has been disregarded. I would also like to know the number of complaints received in total for each election."

Response

The information you requested on complaints received under the terms of the Scottish Government's published election and referendum guidance, and which we held as at the date of your request, is supplied in the Annex to this letter. I have also included information on the 2015 UK General Election, which was not included in your list.

Complaints Received by the Scottish Government under Election and Referendum Guidance

Election / Referendum Number of Complaints Outcome
European Parliament Elections 2009 None n/a
Scottish Parliament Elections 2011 None n/a
Local Government Elections 2012 One Not upheld.
European Parliament Elections 2014 None in 2014 (see below ) n/a
Independence Referendum 2014 None n/a
UK General Election 2015 None in 2015 (see below) n/a
Scottish Parliament Elections 2016 None n/a
Local Government Elections 2017 One Not upheld. The complaint referred to announcements in advance of the 2017 Local Government Elections and also, retrospectively, to the 2014 European Parliament Election and the 2015 UK General Election.
UK General Election 2017 Two Responses not yet issued as at the date of this request.

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

FoI-17-01472.pdf

Contact

Please quote the FOI reference

Central Enquiry Unit
Email: ceu@gov.scot
Phone: 0300 244 4000

The Scottish Government
St Andrew's House
Regent Road
Edinburgh
EH1 3DG

Back to top