Freedom of Information Request - Hunting with Dogs - Preventing Serious Damage - Licencing
Date: 03 June 2025
Our ref: SIR180164/A5167493
Information Request – Hunting with Dogs - Preventing Serious Damage - Licencing
Your Request
'I believe that you have carried out a review of the working of this legislation, or that you are in the process of carrying out such a review.
Please supply all documents, correspondence, file notes, minutes of meetings, and any other information on this matter.’
Our Response
We provided information to you in relation to this licencing review in response to an earlier Freedom of Information request dated 28 August 2024, reattached for ease. Following a search of the information we hold after this date our response is attached separately.
Our draft review documents have been withheld under EIR exemption Regulation 10(4)(d) - Material in the course of completion, unfinished documents, and incomplete data (Environmental Information Regulations). The review is expected to conclude this summer 2025 and all relevant information will then be published on our website.
We have redacted (marked out) out specific information on the areas/places where hunting with dogs might be taking place. Releasing this information into the public domain in response to this request risks the individuals involved in hunting being identified and could lead them to being targeted and/or harassed posing a risk to public safety. We are therefore withholding this information under EIRs regulation 10(5)(a) (Public Safety).
We have also redacted personal data in the documents provided. 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).
