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Publication - FOI/EIR release

Giant pandas and koalas at Edinburgh Zoo: correspondence: FOI release

Published
3 September 2018
Directorate
External Affairs Directorate
Part of
International, Public sector

Information request and response under the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002.

FOI reference: FOI/18/02044  
Date received: 30 July 2018   
Date responded: 28 August 2018 


Information requested

(1) All correspondence and information including but not limited to documents, reports, calls logged, notes of meetings and emails between the Scottish Government and the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland (RZSS) in relation to the giant pandas at Edinburgh Zoo. I am looking for this information for dates starting 21/03/18 up until today’s date (30/07/18) or more recent.

(2) All correspondence and information including but not limited to documents, reports, calls logged, notes of meetings and emails between the Scottish Government and the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland (RZSS) in relation to the koala bears at Edinburgh Zoo. I am looking for this information for dates starting 21/03/18 up until today’s date (30/07/18) or more recent.

Response

Request 1
Between 21 March 2018 and 30 July 2018, the pandas were mentioned in one written exchange between the Scottish Government and the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland (RZSS).  A copy of this email exchange is attached at Annex A.  The content of the Annex is as follows:
 
  • Email from Scottish Government official to Employee of RZSS, dated 17 April 2018.
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 some of that information. 
An exemption under section 38(1)(b) of FOISA (personal information) applies to some of the information requested because it is personal data of a third party, ie names and contact details of individuals, and disclosing it would contravene the data protection principles in Schedule 1 to the Data Protection Act 1998.  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.
Request 2
While our aim is to provide information whenever possible, in this instance the Scottish Government does not have the information you have requested.  We do not have the information because there are no records of correspondence or notes of meetings between the Scottish Government and the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland (RZSS) in relation to the koalas at Edinburgh Zoo between 21 March 2018 and the present date.  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

Annex A related email
1 page PDF
406.2 kB

Contact

Please quote the FOI reference
Central Enquiry Unit 
Email: ceu@gov.scot  
Phone: 0300 244 4000 
The Scottish Government 
St Andrew's House 
Regent Road 
Edinburgh 
EH1 3

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