Highest number of FOI requests made by a single person in one day: FOI release

Information requested

1. What is the largest number of FOI requests made to yourselves by a single person in one day, and who made those requests (and in what capacity, e.g. journalist, media, lobbying, campaigner, party researcher)?
2. For each of the years 2023 (so far), 2022, 2021, 2020 and 2019, what is the largest number of FOI requests made to yourselves by a single person in one day, and who made those requests (and in what capacity, e.g. journalist, media, lobbying, campaigner, party researcher)?"

Response

I enclose most of the information requested in the table below. You will note in answer to your first question - the largest number of FOI requests was a total of 45 made by Conor Matchett on 20/12/2022 in his capacity as a journalist.

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 an exemption under section 38(1)(b)(personal information) of FOISA applies to that information. This exemption applies to some of the information requested because it is personal data of a third party, ie names of individuals, and disclosing would contravene the data protection principles in Article 5(1) of the General Data Protection Regulation and in section 34(1) of the Data Protection Act 2018. This exemption is not subject to the ‘public interest test’, so we are not required to consider if the public interest in disclosing the information outweighs the public interest in applying the exemption.

In some cases, where the information that we hold suggests that the data subject is not a private individual, where possible, we have consulted the data subject in connection with this request and accommodated their views. We have considered the legitimate interests of the requester in the information and balanced this against the rights and freedoms of the data subject. In two cases, where the data subject is a journalist, we consulted him and he was content for his name to be released.

Year	Name	Role	Number requested	Date
2019	[redacted - s38(1)(b)]	Private individual	34	01/11/2019
2020	[redacted - s38(1)(b)]	Private individual	9	02/12/2020
2021	[redacted - s38(1)(b)]	Private individual	21	05/10/2021
2022	Conor Matchett	Journalist	45	20/12/2022
2023	Conor Matchett	Journalist	39	14/02/2023

Please note the data I have provided begins on 01 January 2019. During 2018 the Scottish Government transitioned to a new case management system for the handling of correspondence and formal information requests. No business need was identified to retain information relating to the largest number of FOI requests made by a single person in one day on our previous case management system. So that was not transitioned over and so we do not hold that information prior to this date.

This is a formal notice under section 17(1) of FOISA that the Scottish Government does not have some of the information you have requested. This exemption is not subject to the 'public interest test', so we are not required to consider if the public interest in disclosing the information outweighs the public interest in applying the exemption.

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.