Freedom of Information Request - South Deeside and North Angus Deer Management Group
Date: 28 January 2025
Our ref: SIR178117/A4916928
Information Request – South Deeside and North Angus Deer Management Group
Your Request
a) all information that NatureScot holds about deer numbers and their impacts in the South Deeside and North Angus Glens Management Group area since 2017.
b) any information in the form of minutes, emails etc that Nature Scot holds about the functioning of that Deer Management Group since 2017
Our Response
We have discussed your request with the Wildlife Management Team. They found several documents that meet the terms of your request, these documents are attached separately to this response.
We have withheld some information relating to subscriptions and bank balances for the DMG as it is not in the public interest for NatureScot to release private information as to the amount of funds within a bank balance of a private organisation. We are therefore withholding this information under EIRs 10(5) ( e) – Confidentiality of commercial or industrial information.
We have also marked out (redacted) some 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).
We have also redacted out a very small amount of information relating to Golden Eagles. Releasing this information into the public domain in response to an information request could cause harm or disturbance to these birds, we have therefore applied the following exemption 10(5)(g) (Protection of the environment) to this information.
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).
