Freedom Of Information - Hunting with Dogs licences
Date: 15 July 2024
Our ref: SIR176215/A4651640
Information Request – Hunting with Dogs
Thank you for your information request, which we received on 05 July 2024. We have considered your request under the Environmental Information (Scotland) Regulations 2004 (‘the EIRs’).
Your Request
It is understood that the Hunting with Dogs (Scotland) Act came into force on the 3rd of October 2023 and that a licence is required for hunting foxes with more than two dogs.
Please could NatureScot provide the following information:
Since the Act came into force, how many applications for licences have been made for each of the two purposes, the first being 'the management of wild animals above ground' and the second being 'for environmental benefit'. For each application what date were they made and for each application which ones were successful or still pending? Of these applications, please could you give the geographical region for each application and state how many applications there were for land holdings in the Scottish Borders. Furthermore, for each application please could you provide the minimum number of dogs that the applicant applied for.
Our Response
Following a search of the information we hold our response is set out below.
Since the Act came into force, how many applications for licences have been made for each of the two purposes:
- The management of wild animals above ground (preventing serious damage) – 64 applications made as of 9 July 2024, of these 3 were amendments to an existing licence.
- For environmental benefit - 9 applications made as of 9 July 2024.
For each application what date were they made and for each application which ones were successful or still pending?
Please see 'Received Date' and 'Status' columns in the table below.
Please could you give the geographical region for each application and state how many applications there were for land holdings in the Scottish Borders?
Please see the 'Local Authority' column in the table below. There are 14 applications in the Scottish Borders Council area.
Furthermore, for each application please could you provide the minimum number of dogs that theapplicant applied for?
Please see 'Max. Dogs Requested' and 'Max. Dogs Approved' columns in the table below. These figures are the number requested by the applicant and the number approved. The application form requires the maximum number to be defined and not the minimum.
Table of licences
KEY:
Signed - A licence was issued, and this is the final or only licence in the series at that location.
Amended - The licence was issued and has now been amended and re-issued under a new licence number before it has expired. The new licence is now the active licence.
Refused - Following assessment a licence was not approved or issued.
In Progress - The application is being assessed and has not been approved or refused, or the application has been 'Frozen' because more information is required before an assessment can be completed.
| Local Authority | Status | Sub-type | Received Date | Max. Dogs Requested | Max. Dogs Approved |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aberdeen City | Refused | Hunting with dogs - PSD | 24/01/2024 | 40 | 0 |
| Aberdeenshire | Refused | Hunting with dogs - PSD | 19/12/2023 | 8 | 0 |
| Angus | Amended | Hunting with dogs - PSD | 18/01/2024 | 20 | 20 |
| Angus | Signed | Hunting with dogs - PSD | 26/05/2024 | 20 | 20 |
| Argyll & Bute | Signed | Hunting with dogs - PSD | 18/03/2024 | 20 | 20 |
| Argyll & Bute | Signed | Hunting with dogs - PSD | 21/12/2023 | 12 | 12 |
| Argyll & Bute | Amended | Hunting with dogs - PSD | 05/03/2024 | 14 | 14 |
| Argyll & Bute | Signed | Hunting with dogs - PSD | 21/03/2024 | 15 | 15 |
| Dumfries & Galloway | Refused | Hunting with dogs - PSD | 24/01/2024 | 18 | 0 |
| Dumfries & Galloway | Refused | Hunting with dogs - PSD | 14/12/2023 | 18 | 0 |
| Dumfries & Galloway | Refused | Hunting with dogs - PSD | 19/12/2023 | 18 | 0 |
| Dumfries & Galloway | Refused | Hunting with dogs - PSD | 03/01/2024 | 18 | 0 |
| Dumfries & Galloway | Refused | Hunting with dogs - PSD | 23/01/2024 | 18 | 0 |
| Dumfries & Galloway | Refused | Hunting with dogs - PSD | 25/01/2024 | 18 | 0 |
| Dumfries & Galloway | Refused | Hunting with dogs - PSD | 01/02/2024 | 18 | 0 |
| Dumfries & Galloway | Refused | Hunting with dogs - PSD | 05/03/2024 | 18 | 0 |
| Dumfries & Galloway | Refused | Hunting with dogs - PSD | 06/03/2024 | 18 | 0 |
| Dumfries & Galloway | Refused | Hunting with dogs - PSD | 08/03/2024 | 18 | 0 |
| Dumfries & Galloway | Signed | Hunting with dogs - PSD | 25/03/2024 | 18 | 18 |
| Dumfries & Galloway | Signed | Hunting with dogs - PSD | 26/03/2024 | 18 | 18 |
| Highland | In Progress | Hunting with dogs - Environmental | 23/11/2023 | 18 | Frozen |
| Highland | Signed | Hunting with dogs - PSD | 30/01/2024 | 18 | 16 |
| Highland | Refused | Hunting with dogs - Environmental | 10/01/2024 | 16 | 0 |
| Highland | Signed | Hunting with dogs - PSD | 11/01/2024 | 18 | 18 |
| Highland | Refused | Hunting with dogs - Environmental | 11/02/2024 | 18 | 0 |
| Highland | Signed | Hunting with dogs - PSD | 23/02/2024 | 16 | 16 |
| Midlothian | Refused | Hunting with dogs - PSD | 12/02/2024 | 26 | 0 |
| Midlothian | Signed | Hunting with dogs - PSD | 05/03/2024 | 20 | 20 |
| Perth & Kinross | Signed | Hunting with dogs - PSD | 10/01/2024 | 20 | 20 |
| Perth & Kinross | Refused | Hunting with dogs - PSD | 20/10/2023 | 20 | 0 |
| Perth & Kinross | Signed | Hunting with dogs - PSD | 09/11/2023 | 20 | 20 |
| Perth & Kinross | Signed | Hunting with dogs - PSD | 11/12/2023 | 20 | 20 |
| Perth & Kinross | Amended | Hunting with dogs - PSD | 13/12/2023 | 20 | 20 |
| Perth & Kinross | Signed | Hunting with dogs - PSD | 15/12/2023 | 20 | 20 |
| Perth & Kinross | Signed | Hunting with dogs - PSD | 18/12/2023 | 20 | 20 |
| Perth & Kinross | Signed | Hunting with dogs - PSD | 20/12/2023 | 20 | 20 |
| Perth & Kinross | Signed | Hunting with dogs - PSD | 11/01/2024 | 20 | 20 |
| Perth & Kinross | Signed | Hunting with dogs - PSD | 11/01/2024 | 20 | 20 |
| Perth & Kinross | Signed | Hunting with dogs - PSD | 11/01/2024 | 20 | 20 |
| Perth & Kinross | Signed | Hunting with dogs - PSD | 12/01/2024 | 20 | 20 |
| Perth & Kinross | Signed | Hunting with dogs - PSD | 18/01/2024 | 20 | 20 |
| Perth & Kinross | Signed | Hunting with dogs - PSD | 18/01/2024 | 20 | 20 |
| Perth & Kinross | Signed | Hunting with dogs - PSD | 22/01/2024 | 20 | 20 |
| Perth & Kinross | Signed | Hunting with dogs - PSD | 30/01/2024 | 20 | 20 |
| Perth & Kinross | Signed | Hunting with dogs - PSD | 30/01/2024 | 20 | 20 |
| Perth & Kinross | Signed | Hunting with dogs - PSD | 02/02/2024 | 20 | 20 |
| Perth & Kinross | Signed | Hunting with dogs - PSD | 15/02/2024 | 20 | 20 |
| Perth & Kinross | Signed | Hunting with dogs - PSD | 19/02/2024 | 20 | 20 |
| Perth & Kinross | Signed | Hunting with dogs - PSD | 21/02/2024 | 20 | 20 |
| Perth & Kinross | Signed | Hunting with dogs - PSD | 23/02/2024 | 16 | 16 |
| Perth & Kinross | Signed | Hunting with dogs - PSD | 22/03/2024 | 20 | 20 |
| Perth & Kinross | Signed | Hunting with dogs - PSD | 01/03/2024 | 20 | 20 |
| Perth & Kinross | Signed | Hunting with dogs - PSD | 01/04/2024 | 20 | 20 |
| Perth & Kinross | Signed | Hunting with dogs - PSD | 02/04/2024 | 20 | 20 |
| Renfrewshire | Refused | Hunting with dogs - Environmental | 29/01/2024 | 20 | 0 |
| Scottish Borders | Refused | Hunting with dogs - PSD | 16/02/2024 | 20 | 0 |
| Scottish Borders | Refused | Hunting with dogs - Environmental | 11/03/2024 | 19 | 0 |
| Scottish Borders | Refused | Hunting with dogs - Environmental | 07/11/2023 | 20 | 0 |
| Scottish Borders | Refused | Hunting with dogs - PSD | 20/12/2023 | 20 | 0 |
| Scottish Borders | Refused | Hunting with dogs - PSD | 11/01/2024 | 20 | 0 |
| Scottish Borders | Refused | Hunting with dogs - PSD | 16/01/2024 | 30 | 0 |
| Scottish Borders | Signed | Hunting with dogs - PSD | 23/01/2024 | 25 | 20 |
| Scottish Borders | Refused | Hunting with dogs - PSD | 01/02/2024 | 20 | 0 |
| Scottish Borders | Refused | Hunting with dogs - Environmental | 20/02/2024 | 20 | 0 |
| Scottish Borders | Signed | Hunting with dogs - PSD | 27/02/2024 | 20 | 20 |
| Scottish Borders | Signed | Hunting with dogs - PSD | 01/03/2024 | 25 | 25 |
| Scottish Borders | Signed | Hunting with dogs - PSD | 13/03/2024 | 16 | 16 |
| Scottish Borders | Signed | Hunting with dogs - PSD | 27/03/2024 | 15 | 15 |
| Scottish Borders | Signed | Hunting with dogs - PSD | 27/03/2024 | 20 | 20 |
| South Lanarkshire | In Progress | Hunting with dogs - PSD | 30/04/2024 | 20 | Not Known |
| South Lanarkshire | Refused | Hunting with dogs - Environmental | 01/11/2023 | 20 | 0 |
| Stirling | Signed | Hunting with dogs - PSD | 19/01/2024 | 20 | 20 |
How We Handled Your Request
We believe you have asked for environmental information as defined in the Environmental Information (Scotland Regulations 2004 ('the EIRs'), so we are dealing with your request under those regulations. To be able to use the EIRs, we must apply an exemption under section 39(2) of the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002 (‘FOISA’). The Scottish Information Commissioner’s guidance recommends that public authorities apply this exemption to environmental information and handle request under the EIRs.
If you would like to find out more about the access to information legislation, there is a guidance booklet available on the Scottish Information Commissioner’s website.
Review and Appeal
I hope this information meets your requirements, but if you are dissatisfied with how we have responded to your information request, please write to us within 40 working days explaining your concerns. You can contact us at Battleby, Redgorton, Perth, PH1 3EW or email us at [email protected]. We will carry out a review of our response and contact you with our findings within 20 working days.
If you are not satisfied following this, you can make an appeal to the Scottish Information Commissioner within 6 months. The Scottish Information Commissioner can be contacted at:
Scottish Information Commissioner
Kinburn Castle
Doubledykes Road
St Andrews
Fife
KY16 9DS
Telephone: 01334 464610
Yours sincerely
FOI Officer,
NatureScot [email protected]
