Correspondence regarding Future Fisheries Management National Discussion Paper 2019: EIR release

Information requested

1. All of the 120 stakeholder consultation responses to Scottish Government’s Future Fisheries Management National Discussion Paper, 2019.

2. Scottish Government’s own minutes of the National Discussion Paper Stakeholder events, including the minutes of the two Twitter Q & A events.

Response

There are 126 documents that fall within the scope of your request.

While our aim is to provide information whenever possible, in this instance we are unable to provide some of the information you have requested because exemptions under sections s.10(5)(f) (Third party interests) and s.11(2) (Third party personal data) of EIRs applies to that information.

An exemption under section 10(5)(f) of EIRs applies to some of the information you have requested. Section 10(5)(f) applies to information which is exempt as it relates to the interests of a third party. This exemption is subject to the ‘public interest test’. Therefore, taking account of all the circumstances of this case, we have considered if the public interest in disclosing the information outweighs the public interest in applying the exemption. We have found that, on balance, the public interest lies in favour of upholding the exemption. We recognise that there is a public interest in disclosing information as part of open, transparent and accountable government, and to inform public debate. However, there is a greater public interest in not causing any substantial prejudice to the interests of a third party or potential harm that the release may cause to the interests of the parties involved. On this basis, we are unable to release 28 out of 126 documents.

An exemption under s.11(2) (Third party personal data) of EIRs also applies to some of the information. This means that we had to redact individuals’ personal data (other than the individual's name) such as addresses, email addresses, telephone numbers and signatures (where these were present). We also redacted the names of individuals where we had consent to “publish without a name”.

Due to the size of the files we are unable to upload the documents referred to above. If you wish to consider, please contact us at the address below and we will be happy to provide.

About FOI

The Scottish Government is committed to publishing all information released in response to Freedom of Information requests. View all FOI responses at http://www.gov.scot/foi-responses.