Breakdown of bail orders: FOI release

Information requested

A breakdown of bail orders.

Response

Some of the information you requested is detailed below.

Q1: Under Freedom of Information can you tell me how many people have been granted bail orders in Scotland and can I have figures for the last three years please?

The information you have requested is available from Table 13 in the supporting document of the Criminal Proceedings publication, found here: https://www.gov.scot/publications/criminal-proceedingsscotland-2021-22/pages/1/. Under section 25(1) of FOISA, we do not have to give you information which is already reasonably accessible to you. If, however, you do not have internet access to obtain this information from the website(s) listed, then please contact me again and I will send you a paper copy.

Q2: Can you also tell me how many were granted bail in domestic abuse cases in the last three years please?

We can provide the number of people granted bail for cases under the Domestic Abuse (Scotland) Act 2018:

2019-20	2020-21	2021-22
677	540	507

Q3: Can you also tell me of those offered bail in the last three years how many were reoffenders?

While our aim is to provide information whenever possible, in this instance the Scottish Government does not have the information you have requested. It would require new complex analysis and judgement to produce a dataset that would hold this data, from several existing datasets. Public authorities are not required to create information in order to answer a request. There's a distinction between creating new information, and compiling information. Where a request can be answered by compiling information from readily available resources held by the public authority, this is not the same as creating new information. However, if collation of the information would require skill and complex judgement, the information is not held.

This is a formal notice under section 17(1) of FOISA that the Scottish Government does not have the information you have requested.

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.