Report Summary
Issued 17 November 2025, this FOI response relates to the wait time for Subject Access Requests from Police Scotland. Information not held by the Authority but advice and assistance provided.
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Response
The Scottish Police Authority has considered your request under the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act (FOISA).
The current 9 month wait for Police Scotland to respond to a Subject Access Request (SARs) is reported publicly on Police Scotland’s website. We are aware of the stated wait time, however the Authority does not hold this as recorded information.
To assist, we can advise that the Authority’s Audit, Risk and Assurance Committee monitors Police Scotland’s performance in relation to SARs. Reporting to the Committee by Police Scotland points to a significant increase in the number and complexity of SARs, and challenges with staffing levels as the main drivers of the current backlog. The Committee continues to closely monitor this issue. Progress with the backlog is also being monitored by the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) who are sighted on Police Scotland’s efforts to address this backlog. The ICO is the UK's independent regulator for data protection and information rights.
