Access to Information : Classes of Information

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Classes of Information

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Exemptions note

The table below includes details of particular exemptions that we expect could apply to some classes of information. For more information about exemptions please see our Exemptions Detail.

Format notes

‘Electronic’ means that this information is held in Word, Excel, Powerpoint or Acrobat (pdf) formats but is not on the website.
‘Website’ means that the information is held on our website in Word, Excel, Powerpoint, Acrobat (pdf) or html formats.
Most of the information held electronically or on the website can be emailed and is also available in print format.

Class of Information	Purpose	Description	Possible Specific Exemptions
Information access and customer service	To demonstrate our commitment to being an open and well-managed organisation, and our ability to achieve those qualities.	Policies and procedures for managing access to information. Customer service standards and customer satisfaction research.
Organisation	To explain how SEPA works and indicate key ‘interfaces’ with stakeholders.	Details of SEPA’s structure, office locations, contact details, responsibilities.
Communication and promotion	To provide evidence of SEPA informing and engaging stakeholders.	Consultation documents, news releases, newsletters and other activities to engage stakeholders.
Governance	To explain our most senior decision-making bodies and to make their activities transparent.	Documents detailing the responsibilities, activities and decisions of these groups.	» Personal information » Audit Function
Finance and audit	To provide evidence of systems and checks that ensure SEPA is run efficiently and with due regard for those who fund it (i.e. public and operators).	Policies, procedures and reports for achieving and demonstrating the proper use of public funds.	» Personal information » Audit function » Commercial interests
Quality management	To provide evidence of systems that aim to ensure we achieve high standards in managing our activities.	Procedures, forms and templates for ensuring SEPA work is carried out consistently to specified standards.
Human resources	To explain how appointments are made, and to demonstrate staff training and development.	Policies, procedures and other documents for recruiting, managing and developing staff. Details of jobs, responsibilities, rewards and benefits.	» Personal information
Planning and reporting	To explain our broad objectives and specific targets, and to demonstrate our performance.	Plans and reports that detail SEPA’s objectives and performance.	» Information intended for future publication
Opinion and policy	To provide our corporately agreed views on issues.	SEPA’s submissions to consultations and agreed corporate policies.	» Government policy » Ministerial communications » Effective conduct of public affairs
Guidance	To provide information that may help others to protect and improve the environment.	Leaflets, reports and other documents providing guidance on a wide range of topics.	» Health, safety and environment
Research and technical	To provide information on which we may base decisions (wholly or partly).	Reports of work carried out by, or for SEPA, on scientific and technical topics.	» Commercial interest » Confidentiality » Information intended for future publication
Environmental quality	To provide information on which we may base decisions (wholly or partly). To demonstrate our performance in regulating activities.	Data and reports on the quality of Scottish rivers, lochs, coastal water, air and land.	» Information intended for future publication » Investigations
Flooding and hydrology	To provide information that may help protect property and lives.	Data on river level and flows. Assessments of general flooding risk, current flooding threat and preventative action.
Regulation and enforcement	To provide information on which we may base decisions (wholly or partly). To demonstrate our performance in regulating activities.	Licensing documents: applications, work plans, objections, appeals, correspondence. Enforcement documents: prohibition, improvement and enforcement notices; details of convictions.	» Law enforcement » Investigations » Prohibitions on disclosure » Court records » Personal information » National security and defence

Class of Information	Item Title	Format	Cost	Location
Information access and customer service	Accessing SEPA Information	» Website » Paper	Free	Click here
	SEPA Data Protection Policy	» Website » Paper	Free	Click here
	SEPA Data Protection Subject Access Form	» Website » Paper	Free	Click here
	SEPA Privacy Policy	» Website » Paper	Free	Click here
	Service Charter	» Website	Free	Click here
[ back to top of page ]	Standards of Service	» Website » Paper	Free	Click here

Class of Information	Item Title	Format	Cost	Location
Organisation	A list of the major legislation that SEPA operates under.	» Website » Paper	Free	Click here
	Location and contact details for SEPA Offices	» Website » Paper	Free	Click here
	Memoranda of Understanding (MOU) between SEPA and other organisations	» Website	Free	Click here
	Outline of SEPA's duties	» Website	Free	Click here
	Quick facts about SEPA	» Website	Free	Click here
	SEPA Records Retention and Disposal Schedule	» Paper » Electronic	Free
	SEPA's Code of Practice on Openness	» Website » Paper	Free	Click here
[ back to top of page ]	SEPA's Corporate Management Team biographies	» Website	Free	Click here

Class of Information	Item Title	Format	Cost	Location
Communication and promotion	Annual reports, corporate plans, SEPA View magazine, Internal Environmental reports, waste data reports, bathing water reports, National Waste Strategy (national and local plans), miscellaneous technical reports, information leaflets on waste, water, land, air and radioactivity, information leaflets on SEPA initiatives.	» Website » Paper	Free	Click here
	News Releases issued by SEPA - 1997 - date	» Website » Paper » Electronic	Free	Click here
	SEPA - Frequently Asked Questions(FAQs)	» Website	Free	Click here
	SEPA Public Consultations	» Website (not consultations) » Paper » Electronic	Free	Click here
	SEPA's Environmental Outcomes	» Website	Free	Click here
[ back to top of page ]	SEPA View magazine - Available from Autumn 1999 to date	» Website » Paper	Free	Click here

Class of Information	Item Title	Format	Cost	Location
Governance	Agency Board - List of Members and Declaration of Registered Interests	» Website » Electronic	Free	Click here
	SEPA Board Activities	» Website » Paper	Free	Click here
	SEPA's Agency Board - Agendas, Minutes and Papers	» Website	Free	Click here
	SEPA's East Region Board - Members List, Declaration of Registered Interests, Agendas, Papers and Minutes	» Website » Electronic	Free	Click here
	SEPA's North Region Board - Members List, Declaration of Registered Interests, Agendas, Papers and Minutes	» Website » Electronic	Free	Click here
[ back to top of page ]	SEPA's West Region Board - Members List, Declaration of Registered Interests, Agendas, Papers and Minutes	» Website » Electronic	Free	Click here

Class of Information	Class Category	Item Title	Format	Cost	Location
Finance and audit		Annual Reports and Accounts - Available from 1996 to date	» Website » Paper » Electronic	Free	Click here

Class of Information	Class Category	Item Title	Format	Cost	Location
Quality management

Class of Information	Item Title	Format	Cost	Location
Human resources	Application Form	» Website » Paper » Electronic	Free	Click here
	Current job vacancies and relevant job descriptions	» Website » Paper	Free	Click here
	Equal Opportunities Monitoring Form and Statement	» Website » Paper » Electronic	Free	Click here
	How to apply for a post	» Website » Paper » Electronic	Free	Click here
[ back to top of page ]	Summary of Terms and Conditions	» Website » Paper » Electronic	Free	Click here

Class of Information	Item Title	Format	Cost	Location
Planning and reporting	Annual Report on SEPA's Internal Environmental Performance	» Website » Paper	Free	Click here
	Annual Reports and Accounts - Available from 1996 to date	» Website » Paper » Electronic	Free	Click here
	Corporate Plans - Available from 1998 to date	» Website » Paper	Free	Click here
[ back to top of page ]	State of the Environment Reports	» Website » Paper	Free	Click here

Class of Information	Class Category	Item Title	Format	Cost	Location
Opinion and policy		SEPA's responses to third party Public Consultations	» Website » Paper » Electronic	Free	Click here
	Biodiversity	Strategy on Biodiversity	» Website » Paper » Electronic	Free	Click here
	Corporate Policies	Policy on Occupation Health, Safety and Welfare	» Website » Paper » Electronic	Free	Click here
		Policy Statement on Enforcement	» Website » Paper » Electronic	Free	Click here
	Flooding	Flood Risk Assessment Strategy	» Website » Paper » Electronic	Free	Click here
		Flood Warning Strategy	» Website » Paper » Electronic	Free	Click here
	Land	Land Protection Policy	» Website » Paper » Electronic	Free	Click here
		Land Protection Policy - Strategy for Implementation	» Website » Paper » Electronic	Free	Click here
	Waste	Policy on Civic Amenity Sites	» Website » Paper » Electronic	Free	Click here
	Water	Consenting Policy for Discharges to Controlled Waters	» Website » Paper » Electronic	Free	Click here
		Groundwater Protection Policy for Scotland	» Website » Paper » Electronic	Free	Click here
		Policies on Treatment Chemicals for Fish Farming	» Website » Paper » Electronic	Free	Click here
		Policies on Water	» Website » Paper » Electronic	Free	Click here
		Policy on Regulation and Expansion of Caged Fish Farming on Salmon in Scotland	» Website » Paper » Electronic	Free	Click here
[ back to top of page ]		Policy on the Culverting of Watercourses	» Website » Paper » Electronic	Free	Click here

Class of Information	Class Category	Item Title	Format	Cost	Location
Guidance		Solvent Emissions Directive and guidance	» Website	Free	Click here
	Air	Energy from Waste – guidance, consultation and responses summary	» Website	Free	Click here
		Petrol Vapour Recovery guidance	» Website	Free	Click here
	Land	Agriculture - Four Point Plan	» Website » Paper » Electronic	Free	Click here
	Radioactivity	Principles for assessing public dose	» Website	Free	Click here
		Scottish Small Users Liaison Group – minutes and background information	» Website	Free	Click here
		Technical and other reports, and background information	» Website	Free	Click here
	Various	Industry – miscellaneous guidance	» Website	Free	Click here
		Pollution Prevention Guidance (PPG) Notes (various topics)	» Website » Paper	Free	Click here
		Regulating Major Industrial Plants background information	» Website	Free	Click here
	Waste	Competent Management at licensed waste management facilities	» Website	Free	Click here
		Hazardous Waste	» Website	Free	Click here
		Hazardous Waste: Interpretation of the definition and classification	» Website	Free	Click here
		Landfill Directive – various guidance	» Website	Free	Click here
		Recovery and Disposal of Refrigerators/Freezers	» Website	Free	Click here
		SEPA's Composting Position	» Website	Free	Click here
		Standards for Storage and Treatment of End-of-Life Vehicles	» Website	Free	Click here
	Water	Aquaculture guidance, policy and background information	» Website » Paper » Electronic	Free	Click here
		Groundwater – guidance, policy and background information	» Website	Free	Click here
		Scottish Oilcare Campaign guidance and background information	» Website	Free	Click here
		Technical Guidance Manual for Licensing Discharges to Water	» Website » Paper » Electronic	Free	Click here
[ back to top of page ]		Water Framework Directive – guidance, classification maps, work programmes and background information	» Website	Free	Click here

Class of Information	Class Category	Item Title	Format	Cost	Location
Research and technical		List of Technical Papers	» Website » Paper » Electronic	Free	Click here
[ back to top of page ]	Radioactivity	Dounreay Particles Advisory Group (DPAG) – minutes, reports, membership and news releases	» Website	Free	Click here

Class of Information	Class Category	Item Title	Format	Cost	Location
Environmental quality	Radioactivity	Radioactivity in Food and the Environment monitoring results	» Website » Paper	Free	Click here
	SEPA Initiatives	Habitat Enhancement – guidance and background information	» Website » Paper	Free	Click here
		NetRegs – guidance for small/medium enterprises on complying with environmental legislation	» Website » Paper	Free	Click here
		Waste Minimisation – guidance and background information	» Website	Free	Click here
	Various	Environmental Pollution Emission Register	» Website	Free	Click here
		Information Asset Register - list of SEPA's environmental datasets	» Website » Paper	Free	Click here
		Scottish Pollutant Release Inventory (SPRI) - Background information	» Website	Free	Click here
	Waste	National Waste Strategy – national plan, area plans, guidance and background information	» Website » Published reports (national and area plans only)	Free	Click here
		Waste Data Strategy – Waste Data Digests	» Website » Paper	Free	Click here
		Waste Data Strategy – background information	» Website » Paper	Free	Click here
	Water	Bathing Water Data	» Website » Paper	Free	Click here
		Diffuse Pollution Initiative - research, guidance and background information	» Website	Free	Click here
		Dumfries & Galloway Catchment Management Project – catchment plans and background information	» Website	Free	Click here
		Environmental Data – miscellaneous water quality reports	» Website	Free	Click here
		Environmental Data – water quality classification scheme and monitoring results	» Website	Free	Click here
		Harmonised Water Quality Monitoring Data	» Website	Free	Click here
		River Spey Catchment Plan	» Website	Free	Click here
[ back to top of page ]		Water Pollution Incidents	» Website	Free	Click here

Class of Information	Class Category	Item Title	Format	Cost	Location
Flooding and hydrology		Flooding - flood warnings, guidance and background information	» Website » Telephone	Free	Click here
[ back to top of page ]		River level data	» Website	Free	Click here

Class of Information	Class Category	Item Title	Format	Cost	Location
Regulation and enforcement		Application Forms - PPC	» Website » Paper	Free	Click here
		Discharge Compliance	» Website	Free	Click here
	Air	Discharges to Air	» Website	Free	Click here
		Emissions from large combustion plant	» Website	Free	Click here
	Charging Scheme - Contact Points	Contact Points for Charging Scheme Queries	» Website » Paper » Electronic	Free	Click here
	Charging Scheme - Fees and Charges	Air Pollution Control Fees and Charges (Scotland) Scheme 2004	» Website » Paper » Electronic	Free	Click here
		Information on SEPA Charging Schemes	» Website	Free	Click here
		Charging Schemes previously in force	» Website » Paper » Electronic	Free