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This is an HTML version of an attachment to the Freedom of Information request 'Young Scot card and cashless catering'.

Dr John Welford

Date 10 November 2009

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Our ref FOI 20691/68037

Dear Dr Welford

Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002 - Provision of Information

Thank you for your request for information. I have dealt with this in accordance with the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002.

Each year pupils in P7 are offered the opportunity of completing an abbreviated form to acquire a National Entitlement Card (NEC). The application form allows individuals to opt out of the Young Scot discount scheme and the PASS proof of age scheme. At present you are quite correct in stating that it is not made clear that pupils can access catering in schools even if they decide not to apply for a National Entitlement Card.

Cashless catering in secondary schools has been very successful across the country. Each school is able to offer alternative and non-personalised means of accessing cashless catering. Again, this is not made clear in the application form and supporting documentation and this will be addressed.

I accept your comments on the clarity of the information on the application form and supporting documents and will revise these for the next round of applications.

Specifically in relation to your questions:

  1. It is not necessary to apply for the National Entitlement Card in order to use the cashless catering system in City of Edinburgh Council schools. There is no compulsion to apply for a card, and anyone who wishes to opt out can simply not return the form, in which case no data will be sent to the bureau and no card will be produced. Children who do not apply for the NEC can still access the cashless catering system by obtaining a non-personalised card (which works in the same way) from the school office.

  2. The availability of non-personalised cards for use with the cashless catering system is not widely promoted to P7 pupils because the use of personalised cards complete with a photograph is felt to be more secure for pupils, and because there are additional benefits for pupils from having the personalised NEC. The option of having a non-personalised card will in future be more clearly stated on the form and in supporting documentation.

  3. Cashless catering as a concept and as a system is widely accepted across the country. The National Entitlement Card/Young Scot Card is similarly a national system. Since there is no compulsion to either take part in cashless catering or acquire a card, legal advice was not sought

  4. A privacy impact assessment was not carried out.

  5. The Information Commissioner's Office was not consulted.

If you are not happy with this response, or want to complain about the way in which we handled your application, please write to the Director of Corporate Services; The City of Edinburgh Council, Waverley Court, 4 East Market Street, Edinburgh, EH8 8BG, within 40 working days of receipt of this letter, seeking a review of the response.

If, after you have received a reply from the Director of Corporate Services, you remain dissatisfied, you may ask the Scottish Information Commissioner to conduct a review. You can contact him at:


Scottish Information Commissioner,
Kinburn Castle,
Doubledykes Road,
St Andrews, Fife
KY16 9DS
Phone: 01334 464610
Fax: 01334 464611
E-mail: [email address]

Yours sincerely

Janet McKenzie

One Edinburgh Team, Level 1, Chesser House, 500 Gorgie Road, Edinburgh, EH11 3YJ

Tel 0131 200 2350 Fax 0131 200 2311

E-mail [email address] Web www.edinburgh.gov.uk