Dear Mr Traill,

Thank you for your email, which has been dealt with under the terms of the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002.

Please find attached a spreadsheet containing the requested information. Please note that I have been unable to supply you with a breakdown of each individual transaction. This is because Lothian and Borders Police will book flights for a number of reasons including travelling to a conference or visiting another Force area as part of an investigation. It is for this latter reason that I cannot provide you with the details of every flight, as it could potentially alert individuals to an ongoing investigation. Therefore section 35(1)(a) and (b) of the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002, relating to Law Enforcement is engaged: information is exempt information if its disclosure would, or would be likely to, prejudice substantially the prevention or detection of crime, and the apprehension or prosecution of offenders.

In addition to this I am unable to provide you with the paperwork for each transaction. This documentation would undoubtedly contain information that would identify which individuals had travelled to which destination, along with the flight they were on and when and why they travelled. It would also reveal the details of any forthcoming flights that had been booked and why. Therefore section 35 of the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002 applies again.

I trust this will be of some assistance to you. If you have any questions about the above or I can help in any other way, please do not hesitate to get in touch with me again. However, under the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002, you have the right to appeal if you are dissatisfied with the way in which we have dealt with your enquiry. This should be done within 40 working days of receiving this email. If you wish to appeal please contact Rachel Watson, Head of Force Information Unit, Lothian and Borders Police, Police Headquarters, Fettes Avenue, Edinburgh, EH4 1RB. Please note that subsequent to this internal review there is a right of appeal to the Scottish Information Commissioner, Kinburn Castle, Doubledykes Road, St Andrews, Fife, KY16 9DS.

Kind regards,

Gabriella Trybalska
Force Information Unit
Lothian and Borders Police

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