Request
Your request was about the following information:
'Please give me a list of human rights due diligence checks your organisation has conducted since the publication of the Scottish Government document, Guidance on due diligence: human rights, detailing in each case whether or not you proceeded with an investment relationship or business agreement following the undertaking of these checks. Please also detail any instances of non-compliance with the guidance that have been reported. If unable to provide such a list, please confirm for me whether your organisation was previously aware of or has ever given consideration to this guidance, including whether you are aware of having been notified of it by a representative of the Scottish Government or other public body.
Please also tell me how many investment relationships or agreements your organisation has engaged in since June 2018. This request relates to the types of relationship outlined in the aforementioned guidance as meriting a due diligence check: “any activity which could lead to an investment relationship or agreement with a third party” (source: Guidance on due diligence: human rights - gov.scot (www.gov.scot ).
If this request is too wide or unclear, please let me know. If you are unable to complete the second part of this request, relating to investment relationships engaged in since June 2018, I would be grateful if you could still work to answer the first part. ’
Response
Letters from the Scottish Government’s Director for International Trade and Investment were sent to Chief Executives on 15 December 2021 and 8 March 2022, in relation to relationships with businesses operating in occupied Palestinian territories and relationships with Russian businesses and guidance on aligning with the Scottish Government position on sanctions respectively.
Food Standards Scotland are aware of the Guidance on due diligence: human rights, but we would not be involved in prospective investment relationships or investment agreements. So while the guidance does apply, it is not the most relevant to our activities.
