Scottish Cabinet Papers from the Year 2002 Opened to the Public

Newly opened government files available at National Records of Scotland shed light on Scottish Cabinet discussions in the year 2002.

That year, First Minister Jack McConnell’s Labour/Liberal Democrat Cabinet considered a number of issues including a serious fire in Edinburgh’s Old Town, floods in Glasgow and Moray, and an (ultimately unsuccessful) joint bid between Scotland and Ireland to host the Euro 2008 football championship.

The files form part of the annual release of archived information after 15 years by Scottish Government. They add a considerable amount of extra information about 2002 to that found in government records already opened due to a policy of proactive release.

In welcoming the latest releases, Tim Ellis, Chief Executive of NRS and Keeper of the Records of Scotland, said 

“Scottish Government records are important for our understanding of our recent history, and preserving them and making them available to the public is a key part of our role at the National Records of Scotland.

“With proposals for a smacking ban, discussions on funding for school and prison buildings, and the introduction of a ban on fox hunting and hare coursing, 2002 saw activity across a wide range of policy areas which are still relevant today.”

Following the New Year public holiday, the newly opened files will be available to view in our public search room from Wednesday 3 January. The Cabinet files will be available in digital format. The other paper files can be seen in January without the need to pre-order. Details can be found in the file list below.

The full list of files released in 2018 can be viewed in PDF. (380 KB PDF)

Please note that you will need a current reader’s ticket to view files in our search room. How to obtain a reader’s ticket, and what preparations to make, can be found in the preparing to visit page of this website.