Freedom of Information Request - Capercaillie conservation in Scotland
Date: 27 September 2024
Our ref: : SIR176870/A4744808
Information Request – Capercaillie conservation in Scotland
Thank you for your information request, which we received on 28 August 2024. We have considered your request under the Environmental Information (Scotland) Regulations 2004 (‘the EIRs’).
Your Request
‘all correspondence between NatureScot and CNPA between January 2022 and July 2023 regarding Capercaillie conservation in Scotland, and action being planned and/or delivered by Scottish Government, NatureScot or CNPA
all correspondence between NatureScot and Cairngorms Connect partners between January 2022 and July 2023 regarding Capercaillie conservation in Scotland, and action being planned and/or delivered by Scottish Government, NatureScot or Cairngorms Connect partners’
Our Response
Following a search of the information we hold our response is attached separately.
Please note the following information, referenced in the attached, is publicly available:
• Analysing the genetic diversity of the capercaillie population in the Cairngorms National Park
We have withheld a draft report NatureScot has been consulted on, ‘Evaluation and Monitoring Report of the Cairngorms Capercaillie Project’. This is due for publication by the Cairngorms National Park Authority next month. We are withholding this under EIR exemption Regulation 10(4)(d) - Material in the course of completion, unfinished documents, and incomplete data (Environmental Information Regulations).
We have marked out (redacted) some personal data in the documents provided. We have also withheld video footage of meetings. 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 EIRs Regulation 11(2) (Personal data).
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).