Cross Compliance inspection breach statistics: EIR release

Information requested

Under FOI regulations I request the following information and data please:

1, For the years 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023 (and 2024 if available)*, the numbers of cross compliance breaches identified in Scotland.

2, For each non-compliance, the specific cross compliance requirement breached.

3, For SMR 7, as this is more detailed, I'd like to have the breakdown please of the various discrepancy codes so I can see what requirements were actually breached, (eg failure to report animal movements, failure to record deaths, incorrect passport details, animals not tagged etc)

4, Please supply the data in spreadsheet format where able.
* if providing this data exceeds the permitted time allowed to be allocated for a single FOI request, please supply data for the years that can be completed, working backwards from the most recent (either 2023 or 2024).

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

The information you have requested for years 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022 and 2023 is available in spreadsheet format on the Cross Compliance inspection statistics page of the Rural Payments and Service website.

Information relating to 2024 is not currently available but will be published on the 'Cross Compliance inspection statistics' page in June.

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.