NatureScot licensing functions: EIR release

Information requested

"In relation to Stewart Stevensons letter of the 23/6/2011, attached, I would like to know if SNH/NatureScot have informed Scottish Government "about any novel or contentious issues that arise in connection with the exercise of the licensing functions delegated to SNH by this letter.", that being the request of the Minister in the last sentence, relating to raptors, since power was delegated. "

Response

As the information you have requested is ‘environmental information’ for the purposes of the Environmental Information (Scotland) Regulations 2004 (EIRs), we are required to deal with your request under those Regulations. We are applying the exemption at section 39(2) of the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002 (FOISA), so that we do not also have to deal with your request under FOISA.

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, because there is no public interest in dealing with the same request under two different regimes. This is essentially a technical point and has no material effect on the outcome of your request.

I have provided a list below of the incidences where NatureScot informed the Scottish Government about novel or contentious issues in relation to exercising their licensing functions:

• Strathbraan Project – licence relating to ravens
• Licence for control of a buzzard at a free range chicken farm in 2021/22

If you would like further information on these licences you may wish to contact NatureScot directly at FOI@nature.scot.

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.

EIR 202300390694 - Information Released - Attached Letter

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