Annual statistics used by the Serious Organised Crime Taskforce: FOI release

Information requested

a) The most recent annualised figures for Table 1 - court proceedings and conviction, under Sections 28, 30 and 31 of the Criminal Justice and Licensing (Scotland) Act 2010) i.e. the figures for the years 2022-23, 2023-24, 2024-25 if possible.

b) The most recent annualised figures for Table 2 - charges reported to COPFS under Sections 28 to 31 of the Criminal Justice and Licensing (Scotland) Act 2010 and any charge with a SOC aggravation (s.29) i.e. the figures for 2023-24, 2024-25 if possible.

c) Any other annual statistics used by the Serious Organised Crime Taskforce to measure “the arrest, conviction and imprisonment of serious organised criminals”? i.e. any other figures used by the Taskforce if the meaning of the first bullet is not limited to the statistics on the second bullet point given in progress reports. That is, if the Taskforce measures the arrest or conviction or imprisonment of serious organised criminals in other ways, could you provide the relevant annualised statistics to me?

Response

I enclose a copy of some of the information you requested.

An exemption under section 27(1)(a)(i) of FOISA applies to some of the information requested because it is due to be published in December, which is within 12 weeks of the date of your request. We consider that it is reasonable to withhold the information until that time, rather than release this information before the planned publication date.

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. We recognise that there is a public interest in disclosing information as part of an open, transparent and accountable government and this will be met by our planned publication. However, there is a greater public interest in taking the time necessary to ensure the information has been properly collated and checked before it is published as planned.

While our aim is to provide information whenever possible, in this instance we are unable to provide some of the information you have requested because an exemption under 17(1)(b) (information not held) of FOISA applies to some the information requested.

Therefore, this is a formal notice under 17(1)(b) of FOISA that the Scottish Government does not hold the information that you have requested. The 2024–25 data will be available when the next edition of the Criminal Proceedings in Scotland bulletin, covering 2024–25, is published in late 2026. All publications are pre-announced on Official statistics: forthcoming publications - gov.scot.

While our aim is to provide information whenever possible, in this instance the Scottish Government does not have information on charges reported to COPFS under ss28-31 of the Criminal Justice and Licensing (Scotland) Act 2010 and any charge with a SOC aggravation (s.29) prior to 2024-25. The number of charges reported to COPFS for 2024-25 is 1220 charges but please note that a substantial number of the charges reported are still awaiting a marking decision and that a significant number of charges marked for court proceedings are still ongoing and not yet concluded. Data on charges reported for earlier years is not available and you may wish to contact COPFS direct at _EnquiryPoint@copfs.gov.uk.

In terms of your request at c) above, the SOCT does not gather any other annualised statistics to measure the “arrest, conviction and imprisonment of serious organised criminals".

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