Request
I'm looking for the latest agenda, papers and minutes from the Crown Estate Scotland Board for all meetings held to date in 2024.
The last set I can find online in the downloads section is August 2023.
Response
Crown Estate Scotland publishes its board documents on our website: Structure & governance | Crown Estate Scotland, which you have noted that you are aware of. We will continue to publish board documents as part of our publication scheme.
For board agenda, papers and minutes from 2017-2023 please refer to the downloads section in the link above.
An exemption under section 27(1) of FOISA applies to some of the information requested because we intend to publish that information within 12 weeks from the date of your request. This exemption applies to the Crown Estate Scotland Board agenda, papers and minutes from September 2023-August 2024. We consider that it is reasonable to withhold the information until that date, rather than release it before the planned publication date.
This exemption is subject to the ‘public interest test’. Therefore, taking account of all the circumstances of this case, we have considered if the public interest in disclosing the information outweighs the public interest in applying the exemption. We have found that, on balance, the public interest lies in favour of upholding the exemption. We recognise that there is some public interest in its release and this will be met by our planned publication date. There is a greater public interest in taking the time necessary to ensure the information has been properly collated and checked before it is published as planned. The public interest is not served in disrupting our programme of work to release the information ahead of its intended publication date.
