Publication - FOI/EIR release

Flag flying guidance 2010-2017: FOI release

Published: 27 February 2018
Directorate: Constitution Directorate
Part of: Public sector

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

FOI reference: FOI/18/00261
Date received: 24 January 2018
Date responded: 22 February 2018

Information requested

Any internal communications or guidance sent to Scottish Government buildings and agencies between 2010 and 2017 in relation to flag flying protocols.

In particular, has the Scottish Government including any of its ministers or civil servants, ever instructed civil servants working at Scottish Government buildings and agencies to ignore, or violate the flag flying protocols as published by the Scottish Government between 2010 and 2017.

We will be submitting freedom of information requests to individual Government agencies about this matter too, but hopefully the Scottish Government centrally will know if they have actively been deceiving the public on these matters.

Response

In relation to the first part of your request, I enclose a copy of the Scottish Government's published flag flying guidance from 2010 to 2017.

You will see that personal data have been redacted. This is because an exemption under section 38(1) (b) of FOISA (personal information) applies. Disclosing personal information would contravene the data protection principles in Schedule 1 to the Data Protection Act 1998. 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.

In relation to your second query this is a formal notice under section 17 (1) of FOISA that the Scottish Government does not have the information you have requested.

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