How to make a request for information

To access information held by SNH please write to us with a description of the information you require your name and contact postal or email address. The more detailed a description you can give us of the information you want the easier and quicker it will be for us to send the information to you. Other things you can do to make the request process more straightforward include:

• give a time period for the information (e.g. between 2002 and 2005);
• give the details of the location for which the information is relevant (e.g. information about windfarms in the Highlands);
• give details of any specific project or issue you are interested in (e.g. the reintroduction of beavers).

We will respond to your request within 20 working days. Sometimes it may take us longer than 20 days to process a request for environmental information. If this happens we will write to you and tell you why and give you an estimate for when the information will be sent to you.

Requesting information about yourself

You can find out if we SNH holds any information about you by making a 'subject access request' under the Data Protection Act 1998. If we do hold information about you we will:

• give you a description of it;
• tell you why we are holding it;
• tell you who it could be disclosed to; and
• let you have a copy of the information .

To make a request for any personal information we may hold you need make the request in writing or by email. It will help us if you give us an idea of why we might hold the information, for example you applied for a job with us or you own land on which there is a protected area. To make sure we don't give out personal information to the wrong person you will be asked to provide some form of identification, such as a passport or driving licence. We will send the information to you within 40 calendar days.

Information not accessible

There are a few cases where we will not release information. The Freedom of Information (Scotland) 2002 Act and Environmental Information (Scotland) Regulations 2004 give a limited number of reasons why a public authority might not release information on request. These reasons are set out in Part 2 of the Freedom of Information (Scotland) 2002 Act:   and Regulation 10 of the Environmental Information (Scotland) Regulations 2004  . We are committed to openness but should we feel an exception or exemption applies to any of the information you have requested, we will write to you explaining why.