Report Summary
Issued 10 June 2026, this FOI response relates to correspondence held by the Authority surrounding Operation Talla, the UK-wide police coordination effort established in March 2020 in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Partial disclosure - some information is considered exempt from disclosure.
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Response
The Scottish Police Authority has considered your request under the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act (FOISA).
Operation Talla was the UK-wide police coordination effort established in March 2020 in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Authority can confirm that correspondence is held regarding Police Scotland’s approach and response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Information provided relates predominantly to the work of an Independent Advisory Group (IAG) on Police Use of Temporary Powers relating to the Coronavirus Crisis. The Group was established by the Authority and Police Scotland in 2020 and was Chaired by Lord Scott, at the time John Scott QC. The Group met for the first time in April 2020 and throughout the pandemic period, to consider in more detail evidence on Police Scotland’s use of the temporary powers granted in response to the Covid-19 pandemic, with a focus on human rights and public impact.
IAG Membership included – Scottish Police Authority; Police Scotland; HMICS; NHS; Equality and Human Rights Commission; Scottish Human Rights Commission; third sector partners including Glasgow Disability Alliance and SWAN Scotland; the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service; Amnesty International; NISAG (Police Scotland’s National Independent Strategic Advisory Group); Aamer Anwar, Lawyer and Human Rights Advocate; Professor Susan McVie, University of Edinburgh; Children and Young People’s Commissioner.
Much of the information provided has previously been published on the Authority’s website, and since removed. As such, some hyperlinks within correspondence may no longer be active due to the passage of time.
Minimal information has been redacted where disclosure may enable individuals to be identified, as this is third party personal information, which is exempt in terms of FOISA.
All correspondence provided with this response is listed in the Appendix.
The Authority does hold Operation Talla correspondence related to our complaint handling functions. This is considered exempt in terms of FOISA. The Authority received this correspondence from third parties1 in respect of our statutory duties. To disclose this information would be a breach of confidence. Details contained within some correspondence could potentially identify an individual, even when anonymised. These exemptions are absolute and do not require application of the public interest test. Whilst you may have a legitimate interest in disclosure of this information, it is our view that those interests are overridden by the interests or fundamental rights and freedoms of the data subjects.
Information is also exempt if disclosure would prejudice the effective conduct of public affairs or prejudice a public authority’s functions. The information relates to matters relevant to our complaint handling functions and should be allowed to be progressed in line with procedure.
These exemptions require application of the public interest test.
Public Interest Test
The public interest factors in favour of disclosure is that:
- This would adhere to the basic principle of being open and transparent.
The public interest factors in favour of maintaining the exemptions are:
- Those with a direct interest in this aspect of the Authority’s functions may lose confidence if the information requested were to be disclosed publicly, particularly where matters had not concluded.
- Disclosure of information provided in confidence may result in individuals being unwilling to engage in this aspect of the Authority’s functions. This would prejudice substantially the ability of the Authority to discharge its duties effectively in accordance with the various legislation relevant to the handling of complaints, and therefore for the Authority to fulfil its function.
- The Authority has a statutory function to consider complaints about policing in Scotland. Its approach to complaints is underpinned by the principles of necessity, fairness, procedural openness and transparency, while respecting individual confidentiality. The Authority’s complaints policy and handling procedures are therefore publicly available.
- The Authority’s Complaints and Conduct Committee provides assurance that complaint handling arrangements are suitable. Public sessions of this Committee are available to watch, and agendas and papers are available on the website. Complaints performance is reported publicly to this Committee, most recently on 19 May 2026, see item 4.
- The public interest lies in maintaining established processes for the consideration of complaints about policing in Scotland. If a complainer is dissatisfied with the handling of their complaint, they can contact the Police Investigations and Review Commissioner (PIRC) to request that their complaint is reviewed. PIRC is an independent organisation not connected to the police or the Authority.
On balance, our conclusion is that maintaining the exemptions outweighs the public interest in disclosure.
You may be interested in content available on our website relating to policing during the pandemic.
