Scottish Government FOI Index

8,100releases indexed

12,778attachments found

26.3avg calendar days

3,233partially withheld

2024-04-15oldest in sample

2026-05-15newest in sample

Outcomes

partially withheld 3,233 unclear 2,138 not held 1,271 released 577 already published 335 cost limit 300 clarification 127 withheld 93 transferred 26

Top Exemptions

s.38(1) 2197 s.20 1678 s.34(1) 1655 s.39(2) 1422 s.30 1343 s.17(1) 1138 s.25(1) 1033 s.10(4) 875 s.11(2) 707 s.29(1) 577 s.2 501 s.3 379

Timeline

2026-05 339 2026-04 312 2026-03 217 2026-02 589 2026-01 479 2025-12 177 2025-11 263 2025-10 217

Directorate Profiles

Communications and Ministerial Support Directorate 535 releases · 27.5 avg days Energy and Climate Change Directorate 486 releases · 27.5 avg days Population Health Directorate 333 releases · 25.2 avg days Marine Directorate 321 releases · 26.4 avg days Local Government and Housing Directorate 311 releases · 25.6 avg days People Directorate 268 releases · 24.4 avg days Equality, Inclusion and Human Rights Directorate 247 releases · 31.4 avg days Agriculture and Rural Economy Directorate 221 releases · 24.0 avg days

Clear

52 matching releases

River Isla watershed information: EIR release

1. Number of registered holdings (farms). 2. Number of LFA (Less favoured area) holdings. 3. Total area of land held within the total holdings (Ha). 4. Total area of land held within the LFA holdings (Ha). 5. Maximum and Mean area of land per holding (Ha).

FOI/EIR unclear 55 score 11 working days correspondence s.3

Published: 2026-05-06
Reference: EIR/202500499557
Directorate: Agriculture and Rural Economy Directorate
Topic: Farming and rural, Public sector

Minister for Agriculture and Connectivity meeting minutes: FOI release

The minutes of the meeting held with Mr Jim Fairlie (Minister for Agriculture and Connectivity) and with Jamie Halcro-Johnston (MSP), yourself and fellow Orkney Farmer, William Harvey held on the morning of Tuesday, 13th January, 2026, in which Tim Eagle was briefly present.

FOI unclear 80 score 13 working days correspondence ministers meetings s.38(1) 2 attachments

Published: 2026-04-22
Reference: FOI/202600507410
Directorate: Agriculture and Rural Economy Directorate
Topic: Farming and rural, Public sector

Scottish Agricultural Wages Board employees suspended on full pay: FOI release

1. In each year since 2020-21, including the current year to date, how many employees at this public body have been suspended with full pay? Where an employee’s suspension covers multiple financial years, please only include the year where they were initially suspended. 2. In relation to Q1, what is the respective sal...

FOI unclear 50 score 8 working days correspondence ministers spending

Published: 2026-02-16
Reference: FOI/202500493939
Directorate: Agriculture and Rural Economy Directorate
Topic: Farming and rural, Public sector

Scottish Land Matching Service inquiries: EIR release

You asked for: Please could I request the following information – (1) For an update on how many inquiries the Scottish Land Matching Service has received to date? (2) How many of those inquiries have been matched?

FOI/EIR unclear 50 score 11 working days correspondence

Published: 2026-02-11
Reference: EIR/202500493536
Directorate: Agriculture and Rural Economy Directorate
Topic: Farming and rural, Public sector

Scottish Agricultural Wages Board Employees query: FOI release

You asked for In each year since 2020-21, including the current year to date, how many staff at this organisation have a home address based in England? Please break this down by pay banding if possible.

FOI unclear 50 score 13 working days correspondence ministers spending

Published: 2026-02-11
Reference: FOI/202500493225
Directorate: Agriculture and Rural Economy Directorate
Topic: Farming and rural, Public sector

Subsidies and compliance at More Works Holdings/Loch Choire Estate: EIR release

1. Please provide details of any subsidies provided to More Works Holdings/Loch Choire Estate over the last decade. 2. Please also detail any inspections surrounding the use of subsidies at this estate, and whether any breaches were found.

FOI/EIR unclear 75 score 15 working days correspondence spending 2 attachments

Published: 2026-02-03
Reference: FOI/202500491618
Directorate: Agriculture and Rural Economy Directorate
Topic: Farming and rural, Public sector

Land Reform (Scotland) Bill information: FOI release

You asked for the following information: a) The total number of landholdings the Scottish Government anticipates the provisions in the Land Reform (Scotland) Bill as amended after Stage 2 will apply to. b) The total number of landholdings the Scottish Government anticipates the provisions in the Land Reform (Scotland...

FOI unclear 55 score 17 working days correspondence spending s.4 s.6

Published: 2026-01-20
Reference: FOI/202500489305
Directorate: Agriculture and Rural Economy Directorate
Topic: Farming and rural, Public sector

Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) regulations and register: EIR release

1. Copies of all the guidance, template documents, checklists and any other documents used by RPID to make screening opinions under the 2017 EIA Regulations. 2. All information held in respect of the referencing system which is used to allocate reference numbers to entries on RPID’s public EIA register.

FOI/EIR unclear 80 score 19 working days correspondence ministers briefings s.2 s.21 s.1 2 attachments

Published: 2025-11-05
Reference: FOI/202500478305
Directorate: Agriculture and Rural Economy Directorate
Topic: Farming and rural, Public sector

Ministerial correspondence containing the word abattoir: EIR release

A copy of any response from Ministers or officials to Email 11 on page 23 of the attached FOI response.

FOI/EIR unclear 80 score 21 working days over deadline correspondence ministers s.11(2) 2 attachments

Published: 2025-10-23
Reference: EIR/202500476171
Directorate: Agriculture and Rural Economy Directorate
Topic: Farming and rural, Public sector

Rural Payments and Inspections Division (RPID) potential crimes reported: FOI release

1. Is the Scottish Government's RPID a specialist reporting agency? 2. Please could RPID provide the number of potential crimes that have been reported by RPID staff to RPID since 1 April 2019. 3. Please could RPID provide the number of potential crimes that have been reported by members of the public since 1 April 2...

FOI unclear 50 score 19 working days correspondence spending

Published: 2025-10-16
Reference: FOI/202500474125
Directorate: Agriculture and Rural Economy Directorate
Topic: Farming and rural, Public sector

Scottish Agricultural Wages Board (SAWB) data: FOI release

You asked for the following information: The total amount of money spent by your organisation on overtime payments in 2021-22, 2022-23, 2023-24 and 2024-25. The total amount of money spent fixing/replacing broken equipment in 2021-22, 2022-23, 2023-24 and 2024-25. The total financial loss to your organisation on writt...

FOI unclear 50 score 16 working days correspondence spending

Published: 2025-10-14
Reference: FOI/202500474840
Directorate: Agriculture and Rural Economy Directorate
Topic: Farming and rural, Public sector

Agriculture & Rural Economy Directorate IT services: FOI release

1. The total amount spent on IT services by the Agriculture and Rural Economy directorate for each of the following financial years; 2021/22, 2022/23 and 2023/24. 2. A breakdown of the spend provided by 1 above showing the amount spent per company, i.e. Financial Year, Company Name, Amount Received. This need only be ...

FOI unclear 50 score 20 working days correspondence spending

Published: 2025-09-25
Reference: FOI/202500470770
Directorate: Agriculture and Rural Economy Directorate
Topic: Farming and rural, Public sector

Historical information relating to Tombane and Logierait Mires: EIR release

All historical information relating to agricultural activity, stocking levels and movement records for Tombane and Logierait Mires SSSI site code 1089 that the department of agriculture holds.

FOI/EIR unclear 50 score correspondence spending

Published: 2025-09-08
Reference: FOI/202500461238
Directorate: Agriculture and Rural Economy Directorate
Topic: Farming and rural, Public sector

Right to work check queries: FOI release

Home Office guidance issued in 2024 recommended that all employers conduct right to work checks on suppliers of contractors/staff. What protocols does your organisation have in place with contractors, of any service, to ensure that right to work checks have been conducted? How many contractors/staff did your organisa...

FOI unclear 50 score 18 working days correspondence contracts

Published: 2025-08-20
Reference: FOI/202500475939
Directorate: Agriculture and Rural Economy Directorate
Topic: Farming and rural, Public sector

Volunteering days used by Science and Advice for Scottish Agriculture staff: FOI release

1. How many civil service employee volunteering days are permitted to SASA staff per year? (e.g. policy is 3 days for FT staff ) [number] 2. How many civil service employee volunteering days were used across all SASA departments/directorates in the financial year of 2024-25? [number] 3. What percentage of all availab...

FOI unclear 50 score 10 working days correspondence

Published: 2025-08-20
Reference: FOI/202500477156
Directorate: Agriculture and Rural Economy Directorate
Topic: Farming and rural, Public sector

Cost of "Ascribing sentience to fish: potential policy implications" policy paper: FOI release

What was the total cost of producing the policy paper (Ascribing sentience to fish: potential policy implications)? Please include all costs including staffing, publication and admin fees.

FOI unclear 50 score 20 working days correspondence spending

Published: 2025-08-14
Reference: FOI/202500471348
Directorate: Agriculture and Rural Economy Directorate
Topic: Farming and rural, Public sector

Applications mentioning the name of Kingsburgh Common Grazings and Kingsburgh Sheep Stock Club: EIR release

All application information - forms completed and supporting information including maps - for any of the IACS/Single Application Form related applications in the name of Kingsburgh Common Grazings and Kingsburgh Sheep Stock Club for this year - 2025, including the following: Basic Payment Scheme Less Favoured Area Sup...

FOI/EIR unclear 75 score 17 working days correspondence briefings spending 4 attachments

Published: 2025-07-29
Reference: FOI/202500466408
Directorate: Agriculture and Rural Economy Directorate
Topic: Farming and rural, Public sector

Knocknagael Crofting Cattle Improvement Scheme: EIR release

You asked a series of questions which all refer to the Bull Stud at Knocknagael and/or the Crofting Cattle Improvement Scheme. How many animals are housed/are residing at the Stud? Please provide a breakdown and numbers for each year from 2020 to present, specifying which/how many are bulls. How many people work at th...

FOI/EIR unclear 50 score 19 working days correspondence spending

Published: 2025-07-15
Reference: EIR/202500459830
Directorate: Agriculture and Rural Economy Directorate
Topic: Farming and rural, Public sector

Staff and costs to produce policy paper "Ascribing sentience to fish: potential policy implications": FOI release

1. What was the cost of producing the policy paper? (Ascribing sentience to fish: potential policy implications) 2. How many staff worked on the paper?

FOI unclear 50 score 18 working days correspondence spending

Published: 2025-07-10
Reference: FOI/202500467082
Directorate: Agriculture and Rural Economy Directorate
Topic: Marine and fisheries, Public sector

Data on consultants hired to help administer agricultural support payments: FOI release

In terms external consultants that have been hired by the Scottish Government to help administer agricultural support payments could you outline: 1. The total number of consultants that have been involved since 2016? 2. Could you list the duties or functions carried out by the consultants since 2016? 3. Could you sh...

FOI unclear 55 score 14 working days correspondence ministers spending s.2 s.17(1)

Published: 2025-07-07
Reference: FOI/202500459422
Directorate: Agriculture and Rural Economy Directorate
Topic: Farming and rural, Money and tax, Public sector

Enforcement of rights under the Wages Act 1949 and the AWSO 2024: FOI release

For each calendar year 2022, 2023 and 2024: 1. How many ‘random’/routine ‘spot checks’ were carried out by Inspectors on employers? 2. How many checks were carried out by Inspectors in response to complaints made by individual worker(s)? 3. Of the total checks per 1 and 2 above, how many resulted in a report being m...

FOI unclear 55 score 13 working days correspondence s.4

Published: 2025-07-02
Reference: FOI/202500459178
Directorate: Agriculture and Rural Economy Directorate
Topic: Farming and rural, Public sector

Information on contractual relationship with the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA): EIR release

The following information in regards to the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA): 1. What is the nature of the contractual relationship between the Scottish Government and the above Agency in respect to farm animal welfare and, in particular, animal welfare on fish farms? 2. Please provide the headings of the contra...

FOI/EIR unclear 55 score 19 working days correspondence contracts s.6(1)

Published: 2025-06-11
Reference: EIR/202500456566
Directorate: Agriculture and Rural Economy Directorate
Topic: Farming and rural, Public sector

Kingsburgh Common Grazings and Sheep Stock Club rural payments applications: EIR release

All application information - forms completed and supporting information including maps - for any of the IACS/Single Application Form related applications in the name of Kingsburgh Common Grazings and Kingsburgh Sheep Stock Club for the last 5 years, including the following: Basic Payment Scheme Scottish Upland Sheep ...

FOI/EIR unclear 75 score 16 working days correspondence briefings spending 12 attachments

Published: 2025-06-10
Reference: EIR/202500457112
Directorate: Agriculture and Rural Economy Directorate
Topic: Farming and rural, Public sector

Agri-Environment Climate Scheme annually recurring and capital items: EIR release

Please could I follow up your response to my original request (attached) to request a further column of data, for the Annually Recurring and Capital items, which shows against each £s value the quantities secured through the payment made (ie quantities in hectares/sq. metres; linear metres; #s of units (eg ‘gates’ ))

FOI/EIR unclear 75 score 18 working days correspondence spending 4 attachments

Published: 2025-05-15
Reference: EIR/202500455527
Directorate: Agriculture and Rural Economy Directorate
Topic: Farming and rural, Public sector

Scottish Agricultural Wages Board payments: FOI release

(1) Do members of the Scottish Agricultural Wages Board receive any (i) payment or (ii) any payment of expenses from the Scottish Government? (2) If the answer to either of the points noted in (1) are yes. Could you outline how much each member is paid or how much of their expenses are covered by the Scottish Governme...

FOI unclear 55 score 7 working days correspondence meetings spending s.6

Published: 2025-04-10
Reference: FOI/202500456810
Directorate: Agriculture and Rural Economy Directorate
Topic: Farming and rural, Public sector