Bullying and harrassment investigations within Forestry and Land Scotland and Scottish Forestry: FOI release

Information requested

You asked:

• How many cases of bullying and harassment have been investigated by the Forestry Commission in the last three years.

This was clarified to:

• Can you please tell me how many cases of bullying and harassment have been investigated by forestry commission Scotland and forest enterprise including the new bodies forestry Scotland and Forestry and Land Scotland in the last three years.
• How many have progressed to disciplinary meeting and the sanctions that have been applied during the process or where there has been no further action.

Response

I enclose some of the information you requested.

Since April 2019 (when Forestry and Land Scotland and Scottish Forestry were established) there have been 7 cases of Bullying and Harassment that have been investigated. A breakdown of those cases can be found below.

Scottish Forestry
1 case was investigated and determined to be unfounded.

Forestry and Land Scotland
3 cases were investigated and determined to be unfounded.
3 cases were upheld and progressed to a disciplinary hearing - 1 resulted in a final written warning. The remaining 2 cases are covered by a single joint hearing which is at appeal stage so the outcome is unknown at this time.

While our aim is to provide information whenever possible, in this instance the Scottish Government does not have some of the information you have requested because an exemption under section 17(1) of FOISA (information not held) applies to that information. The reasons why that exception applies are explained in the Annex.

ANNEX
REASONS FOR NOT PROVIDING INFORMATION

The Scottish Government does not have the information
Section 17(1) of FOISA (information not held) requires the Scottish Government to notify you if it does not have the information you requested. The Scottish Government does not have the information you have asked for prior to 1 April 2019 for the time period requested. This is because as from 1 April 2019 forestry became fully devolved and two new Scottish Government agencies accountable to Scottish Ministers and the Scottish Parliament have been created.

As such the Forestry Commission does not exist in Scotland now; it does continue to exist in England. Scottish Forestry, is responsible for forestry policy, support and regulation. Forestry and Land Scotland looks after, manages and promotes Scotland’s national forests and land, which is owned by Scottish Ministers. The information held prior to 1 April, related to your request, is not held by either Scottish Forestry or Forestry and Land Scotland.

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