Wildlife in Scotland has weaker protection against damaging developments than wildlife in England and Wales, according to emails released by the government’s conservation agency, Scottish Natural Heritage.
The Scottish Government has been secretly trying to wriggle out of a proposed US ban on imports of salmon from fish farms that shoot seals, according to documents published by The Ferret.
A senior planning official has admitted circumventing freedom of information law, by receiving vital environmental data from fish farmers “face to face”.
Scottish Government officials contacted organisations after they had submitted written evidence but before they gave oral evidence on the Named Person Bill to a Holyrood committee.
The new Scottish Information Commissioner has launched an investigation into allegations that the Scottish Government has blocked or delayed freedom of information requests.
Revelations that the Ministry of Defence is planning 14 new developments at the Trident nuclear bases on the Clyde have sparked criticism.
The Ministry of Defence has censored official warnings about the safety of the Trident nuclear weapons system based on the Clyde.
The Scottish Environment Protection Agency ditched a toxic pesticide report after fears it could attract freedom of information requests.
The Scottish Government put pressure on its environmental watchdog to drop a plan to ban a toxic pesticide so as not to upset the fish farming industry.
