Freedom of Information Request - Detecting fraud in Galloway National Park consultation
Date: 10 March 2025
Our ref: SIR178974/A5022211
Information Request – Detecting fraud in Galloway National Park consultation
Your Request
1. Please would you share any communication, memo or plan for how NatureScot is detecting fraud in consultation responses (both online and by post). For example, measures to detect repeat survey completers, inauthentic coordinated campaigns and/or bots.
2. Including (but not limited to): a) how you detect or prevent survey responses from the same email address, b) how respondents' email addresses are verified (to, for example, prevent use of fake addresses, or those belonging to others), c) technical measures such as respondent cookie or advertising identifier detection, d) identification of similar language in responses, e) respondent IP address monitoring to identify whether respondents are geographically where they claim to be. All these are often employed to ensure the integrity of survey data.
3. Anonymised detail on whether any complaints were made by NatureScot employees, contractors or partners about how they were treated by members of the public or anyone related to the proposed Galloway National Park since the beginning of 2024.
4. Any communication since the beginning of 2024 between any NatureScot member of staff and Media House International (mediahouseinternational.com) in relation to the proposed Galloway National Park.
Our Response
1 & 2. Any communication, memo or plan for how NatureScot is detecting fraud in consultation responses
The way we managed the consultation process, including any strategies to detect fraud, will form part of our Reporter advice to the Scottish Government and this is still under development. We are therefore withholding this under EIR exemption Regulation 12(4)(d) - Material in the course ofcompletion, unfinished documents, and incomplete data (Environmental Information Regulations).
The report will be issued to Minsters by the end of May 2025. It will then be published and laid before the Scottish Parliament.
3. Anonymised detail on whether any complaints were made by NatureScot employees, contractors or partners
Following a search of the information we hold we can confirm there have been no formal complaints made by NatureScot employees or our contractor Outside the Box (who managed the consultation events for us) about how they’ve been treated by members of the public or anyone related to the proposed Galloway National Park.
4. Any communication since the beginning of 2024 between any NatureScot member of staff and Media House International
Our response is attached separately.
We have redacted personal 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.
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).
