Correspondence between various organisations and individuals and the Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs and the Minister for Environment: EIR release
Information request and response under the Environmental Information (Scotland) Regulations 2004
Information requested
Copies of all correspondence between the following organisations and individuals and the Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs and the Minister for Environment between 1st January 2020 and 23 February 2023, and specifically on game shooting including licensing, raptor management, and hunting.
- RSPB Scotland
- Wild Justice
- Leigh Day
- Human Society International
- Peta
- Scottish Wildlife Trust
- Chris Packham
- Mark Avery
- Ruth Tingay
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.
Response to your request
I enclose a copy of the information you have requested.
Some of the information contained in some of the documents has been redacted as set out under Section 11(1) of the EIRs as it is personal information.
One response was published on the Scottish Government as part of a generic response to a postcard campaign. A copy is available here https://blogs.gov.scot/rural-environment/2020/08/13/action-onraptor-persecution-and-wildlife-crime/
About FOI
The Scottish Government is committed to publishing all information released in response to Freedom of Information requests. View all FOI responses at https://www.gov.scot/foi-responses.
Contact
Please quote the FOI reference
Central Correspondence Unit
Email: contactus@gov.scot
Phone: 0300 244 4000
The Scottish Government
St Andrew's House
Regent Road
Edinburgh
EH1 3DG