Freedom of Information Request - Orkney Native Wildlife Project
Date: 03 October 2024
Our ref: SIR176989/A4759932
Information Request – Orkney Native Wildlife Project
Your Request
First request
I would like to make a request by way of the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002 concerning the Orkney Native Wildlife Project (ONWP).
On August 14, it was announced that the project had received pledges of £2.5 million from the National Lottery Heritage Fund and of £1.5 million from the NatureScot's Nature Restoration Fund.
Please provide any and all applications for funding that were submitted to these organisations, and others, by ONWP.
Please also provide any and all responses received to each of the above funding applications.
Lastly, please provide all correspondence, sent or received, regarding the above funding applications.’
Second request
I would like to make a request by way of the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002 concerning the Orkney Native Wildlife Project (ONWP).
For each year, since the beginning of the project to the present day, please provide the most detailed breakdown possible of the expenditure by ONWP.’
Our Response
We have discussed your request with our Operations and Funding teams, who have provided the information that meets the terms of your request. Our response is below.
1. Any and all applications for funding that were submitted to these organisations, and others, by ONWP
2. Any and all responses received to each of the above funding applications
3. All correspondence, sent or received, regarding the above funding applications
Information relating to the following Nature Restoration Fund (NRF) funding applications are attached separately:
• Application # 502012 - Development, trial and delivery of a mop up phase methodology required to eradicate stoats from Orkney – successful
• Application # 502524 - Orkney Native Wildlife Project - knockdown phase two - unsuccessful, with advice to reapply
• Application # 502581 - Orkney Native Wildlife Project – Extension - successful
Please note, we have no information to share about applications to the National Lottery Heritage
Fund nor copies of any applications to any other funders.
Further support information
4. For each year, since the beginning of the project to the present day, please provide the most detailed breakdown possible of the expenditure by ONWP.
The project officially started on the 6th Dec 2016. A summary of expenditure is below, and a detailed breakdown of spend by ONWP is attached separately (spreadsheet, titled ‘FOI - Freedom of Information - Request - Ethan Flett - Orkney Native Wildlife Project - collated information2’).
| The total amount of money spent to date by the partnership | £7,483,764.71 (7th Dec 2016 – 30th June 2024) |
| The current best estimate of the cost of completing the eradication | £15,668,279.71 (7th Dec 2016 – end of Dec 2029) |
| The current best estimate of when the eradication will be completed. | Eradication is estimated to be completed at the end December 2027, followed by 2 years of stoat-free monitoring to end December 2029 to confirm success (or otherwise). |
We have marked out (redacted) supporting information that relates to other potential funding sources and future funding plans beyond the NHF funding contract. This falls outwith the scope of this FOI.
We have also redacted some personal data in the documents provided. Releasing the 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).
