202300350348 · FOI · partially withheld
Correspondence on Operation Branchform (Jan-Apr): FOI release
Information requested
Any correspondence sent to, sent by, or internally held by the Scottish Government on the topic of Operation Branchform from January 1 to February 15. Any correspondence sent to, sent by, or internally held by the Scottish Government on the topic of Operation Branchform from March 25 to April 5. Any correspondence between the Scottish Government and Police Scotland on April 5.
Response
Parts 1 and 3
While our aim is to provide information, when possible, the Scottish Government does not have the information you have requested in the first and third part of your request. Having conducted appropriate and proportionate searches for information, the Scottish Government holds no correspondence sent to, sent by, or internally held by the Scottish Government on the topic of Operation Branchform from January 1 to February 15, nor do we hold any correspondence between the Scottish Government and Police Scotland on April 5. This is therefore a formal notice under Section 17(1) FOISA that the Scottish Government does not have the information you requested.
Part 2
In response to the second part of your request I enclose a copy of some of the information you requested.
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 section 35(1)(a) of FOISA (prevention or detection of crime) and section 38(1)(b) (personal information) apply to some of the information you have requested. The reasons why the exemptions apply are explained in the Annex to this letter.
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.
Detected exemption language
This is therefore a formal notice under Section 17(1) FOISA that the Scottish Government does not have the information you requested. 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 section 35(1)(a) of FOISA (prevention or detection of crime) and section 38(1)(b) (personal information) apply to some of the information you have requested. The reasons why the exemptions apply are explained in the Annex to this letter.