Freedom of Information Request - Licences for Hunting with Dogs
Date: 19 September 2024
Our ref: SIR176850/A4743509
Information Request – Licences for Hunting with Dogs
Thank you for your information request, which we received on 27 August. We have considered your request under the Environmental Information (Scotland) Regulations 2004 (‘the EIRs’).
Your Request
I understand that NatureScot granted 40 licences for exempt hunting under the Hunt with Dogs Act between November 2023 and April 2024. This included 31 licences that included the use of 20 or more hounds.
1. Could you provide the names of the licencees?
2. Could you provide the dates that each licence covered?
3. Could you provide the location each licence applied to?
4. Could you provide the reason for the exemption of each licence?
Our Response
We have listed each of your questions below along with our response, and we have provided some of the information that you have requested as a separate document to this response.
1. Could you provide the names of the licensee
We are withholding this information, under the following EIRs exemption 11(2)(Personal Data), because it is personal data and releasing this information into the public domain in response to an access to information request would breach the Data Protection Act 2018.
2. Could you provided the dates that each licence covered
This information is provided in the information provided with this response
3. Can you provide the location each licence applied to.
We have provided the location at local authority level.
We have withheld information on the specific locations/places where hunting with dogs might be taking place under each licence. Releasing this information into the public domain in response to this request could lead to individuals involved in hunting being identified and could lead to them and the places where this activity was taking place being targeted and/or harassed and pose a risk to their safety. We are therefore withholding more detailed information under the EIRs 10(5)(a) (Public Safety)
4. Could you provide the reason for the exemption of each licence
Each licence was issued for the following purpose: Hunting with Dogs (Scotland) Act 2023 – Section 3(2)(a) – Preventing serious damage to livestock, woodland or crops
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).
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