Freedom of Information Request - Additional Licensing Condition for Scottish Raptor Study Group
Date: 09 May 2025
Our ref: SIR179827/A5127366
Information Request – Additional Licensing Condition for Scottish Raptor Study Group
Your Request
• All correspondence between NatureScot and Scottish Gamekeepers' Association (SGA) - between January 01 2024 and April 09 2025 – connected with and regarding an additional licensing condition being added to Scottish Raptor Study Group (SRSG) members’ Schedule 1 raptor licenses which eventually resulted in the condition highlighted in red below being added.
• All correspondence between NatureScot and Scottish Land & Estates (SLE) - between January 01 2024 and April 09 2025 - connected with and regarding an additional licensing condition being added to Scottish Raptor Study Group (SRSG) members’ Schedule 1 raptor licenses which eventually resulted in the condition highlighted in red below being added.
• All correspondence between NatureScot and SRSG - between January 01 2024 and April 09 2025 - connected with and regarding an additional licensing condition being added to Scottish Raptor Study Group (SRSG) members’ Schedule 1 raptor licenses which eventually resulted in the condition highlighted in red below being added.
Condition recently added to SRSG Schedule 1 raptor licenses:
The licence holder (or permit holder or agent, as appropriate) should notify the relevant landowner(s) or land manager(s), of planned licensed activity each year, including the expected timeframe of the activity and the likely number of visits planned. Where there is explicit agreement between the licence holder, permit holder, or agent and the landowner/manager the notification can be extended unless there is a material change, such as change of ownership or licence holder. The notification must be in advance of any licensed activity. Where it is not reasonably practicable to notify the Landowner(s) or Land manager(s) of planned activity, the licence holder, permit holder, or agent must notify NatureScot and include the reason for not being able to contact the landowner/ land manager directly. Evidence of the notification to the landowner(s) or land manager(s) is to be made in a manner which can be provided to NatureScot if requested.
Our Response
Following a search of the information we hold our response is attached separately.
We have withheld some legal correspondence. We are withholding this information under EIRs Regulation 10(5)(d) (confidentiality of proceedings). Regulation 10(5)(d) of the EIRs provides that a public authority may refuse to make information available to the extent that its disclosure would, or would be likely to, prejudice substantially the confidentiality of the proceedings of any public authority where such confidentiality is provided for by law.
We have also redacted any personal and identifiable data from the documents because releasing personal data into the public domain in response to an access to information request would breach the Data Protection Act 2018. We are therefore withholding the information under 11(2) (Personal Data) of the EIRs. We have also redacted out information which fall outwith the scope of
this request.
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
Document downloads
Due to accessibility issues the attached information, referenced above, is available on request by contacting the FOI team at [email protected]. Please reference the case number (starting with SIR).
