MICHAEL Gove has confirmed that the secretive Union Strategy Committee has met but would not be drawn on any further details.
The Cabinet committee was established in February as a replacement for the Union Unit after it lost two leaders in two weeks.
The National previously requested details about the committee in September this year through a Freedom of Information (FOI) request, but the Cabinet Office refused to even confirm or deny if any meetings had taken place.
The UK Government department confirmed that it held details on how many Cabinet Union Strategy Committee (CUSC) meetings there had been and who attended but claimed that the “balance of public interest favours withholding this information”.
READ MORE: UK Government refuses to reveal any details of secretive new Union unit
Ministers understood to sit on the committee, although not officially confirmed, include Chancellor Rishi Sunak, Minister for Intergovernmental Relations Michael Gove, and the Secretaries of State for the devolved nations, including Scottish Secretary Alister Jack.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson is understood to be the chair of the committee.
During a briefing with Scottish journalists in London, The National probed Gove on some basic details regarding the committee.
Asked to confirm if they had met, Gove said: “I don’t think we’re allowed to say which Cabinet committees meet at which time, but yes, the Union Strategy Committee has met and there’s also the Union Policy Implementation Committee which has met as well.”
The National’s original FOI request asked for the number of meetings the committee has had, a list of who had attended each meeting, any correspondences relating to the CUSC, the number of staff assigned to assist the committee, and what their roles are.
The Cabinet Office confirmed they held information relating to the first three requests but said they did not hold any information on staff assigned to assist CUSC.
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They refused to provide the information they hold under exemption 35(1)(a) of the Freedom of Information Act which “protects the formulation of government policy and communications between Ministers”.
The Union Unit was mired in controversy before its collapse, with ministers remaining tight-lipped on the activities of its replacement.
The SNP previously called for the amount of taxpayers money funnelled into the “failed” project to be revealed.
The downfall of the Union Unit started with the firing of the first boss, former Tory MP Luke Graham (above), who left after a “brutal” row with Johnson on his return from a highly criticised trip to Scotland.
Graham’s replacement, former Vote Leave veteran Oliver Lewis, stepped down just two weeks later.
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