Electronic dog training collars and prong training collars: EIR release
Information request and response under the Environmental Information (Scotland) Regulations 2004.
FOI reference: FOI/18/00758
Date received: 8 March 2018
Date responded: 16 March 2018
Information requested
Copies of all documents and information relating to electronic dog training collars and prong training collars presented to the Scottish Government by the Dog's Trust, Kennel Club and RSPCA. This would include any scientific studies, case studies, statistics and reports on their use or effects on dogs.
I'd further like to request minutes of meetings between these organisations and any committees or individual MSP's to investigate the proposal of a ban or regulation of this equipment. This would include any suggestions of further regulation within the dog training industry relating to certification or national registers for dog trainers.
Where meetings are not minuted, if possible I'd like details for dates or time schedules of who these meetings were held with.
Response
As the information you have requested is 'environmental information' for the purposes of the Environmental Information (Scotland) Regulations 2004 (EIRs), we are required to deal with your request under those Regulations. We are applying the exemption at section 39(2) of the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002 (FOISA), so that we do not also have to deal with your request under FOISA.
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, because there is no public interest in dealing with the same request under two different regimes. This is essentially a technical point and has no material effect on the outcome of your request.
I enclose a copy of some of the information you requested in electronic format.
Please find attached:
1. Submission by the Kennel Club to the Scottish Government's 2007 consultation on the use, sale, distribution and possession of electronic training aids re: Countries Supporting a Ban on Electric Shock Collars dated 08/10/07.
2. Submission by the Kennel Club to the Scottish Government's 2007 consultation on the use, sale, distribution and possession of electronic training aids re: Current Research on Electric Shock Collars dated 08/10/07.
3. Submission by the Kennel Club to the Scottish Government's 2007 consultation on the use, sale, distribution and possession of electronic training aids re: FAQ's on Electric Shock Collars dated 08/10/07.
4. Submission by the Kennel Club to the Scottish Government's 2007 consultation on the use, sale, distribution and possession of electronic training aids dated 08/10/07.
5. Submission by the Dog's Trust to the Scottish Government's 2007 consultation on the use, sale, distribution and possession of electronic training aids.
6. Submission by the Scottish Kennel Club to the Scottish Government's 2007 consultation on the use, sale, distribution and possession of electronic training aids.
7. Kennel Club letter to Richard Lochhead MSP re: Electronic Shock Collars dated 19/10/17.
8. Dogs Trust letter to Alec Salmond MSP regarding electronic shock collars dated 21/10/07.
9. Submission by the RSPCA to the Scottish Government's 2007 consultation on the use, sale, distribution and possession of electronic training aids dated 29/10/07 10. A meeting request from the Kennel Club re: electronic dog training aids dated 19/07/13.
10. A meeting request from the Kennel Club re: electronic dog training aids dated 19/07/13.
11. Kennel Club letter to Richard Lochhead MSP re: parliamentary question on dog training aids dated 13/10/13.
12. Email chain with Kennel Club Kennel Club re: meeting request with animal welfare officials to discuss the Scottish Government's position on electric shock collars dated 18/10/13.
13. Kennel Club research re: supporting a ban on electronic dog collars dated 24/02/14 (WR).
14. Kennel Club letter to Roseanna Cunningham MSP re: tail docking and electronic training aids dated 06/10/16.
15. Submission from Dogs Trust to the Scottish Government's 2016 Consultation on Potential controls or prohibition of electronic training aids in Scotland.
16. Submission from the Kennel Club to the Scottish Government's 2016 Consultation on Potential controls or prohibition of electronic training aids in Scotland.
17. Scottish Kennel Club letter to Roseanna Cunningham MSP re: tougher regulations on electronic dog training aids dated 23/01/17.
18. Request from Dog's Trust to meet with Roseanna Cunningham dated 17/02/17.
19. Email chain on arrangements for meeting between Scottish Government and Dogs Trust dated 17/02/17.
20. Kennel Club letter to Roseanna Cunningham MSP re: tougher regulations on electronic dog training aids dated 14/03/17.
21. Invitation to attend Kennel Club Parliament event dated 09/08/17.
22. Dog's Trust congratulations to Fergus Ewing MSP dated 02/06/18.
23. Dog's Trust letter to Roseanna Cunningham MSP re: electronic dog training aids dated 15/03/17.
24. Invitation for Cab Sec to attend round table function at Scottish Parliament and briefing dated 31/10/17.
25. Richard Lochhead MSP invitation to speak at launch of Kennel Club's Dogs Life Manifesto' dated 06/01/16.
An exemption under Regulation 11(2) of EIR (personal information) applies to a small amount of the information requested because it is the personal data of a third party, for instance the names and contact details of Scottish Government employees, and disclosing it would contravene one of the data protection principles in Schedule 1 of the Data Protection Act 1998. This exemption is not subject to the 'public interest test', so we are not required to consider if the public interest in disclosing the information outweighs the public interest in applying the exemption.
While our aim is to provide information whenever possible, in this instance the Scottish Government does not have some of the information you have requested. We will be unable to supply any papers relating to meetings with Dog's Trust, RSPCA and Kennel Club and Holyrood Committees or individual MSPs as the Scottish Government was not party to those meetings. Therefore we are refusing your request under the exception at regulation 10(4)(a) of the EIRs (information not held).
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