FOI - Uber and Fife Council communications

Dear Linda Holt,

FREEDOM OF INFORMATION (SCOTLAND) ACT 2002 – REQUEST FOR INFORMATION

I refer to your information request received on 05/05/2026, our ref FCIR: 64649.

I am pleased to attach the information you requested and trust that it meets your requirements.

Request

Follow on from FCIR: 63243

Please release all correspondence, minutes of meetings and phone calls and internal documents relating to contact between Fife Council and Uber since 16/02/26 to today's date, including anything pertaining to internal council discussions about how to proceed with Uber's application for a booking office.

Response

Please see the attached document; FCIR 64649 Correspondence

Under Section 38(1)(b) Third party Data, we are unable to provide you with some of the information requested as it constitutes the personal data of a third party. A disclosure under FOI is in effect a disclosure made into the public domain and would breach Data Protection Legislation. Therefore, some personal information, names, email addresses and mobile numbers have been redacted.

Additionally, some information has been withheld under section 33(1)(b) (Commercial interests and the economy) of the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002, as disclosure would, or would be likely to, prejudice substantially the commercial interests of Uber and/or Fife Council.

The withheld information relates to a current application for an Operator’s Licence which has not yet been determined. Disclosure at this stage could adversely affect the commercial position of the applicant and the Council’s ability to manage the process appropriately.

This exemption is subject to the public interest test. While the Council recognises the importance of transparency and accountability in relation to licensing matters, this must be balanced against the public interest in protecting commercial interests and ensuring that regulatory processes are not undermined. On balance, the public interest favours withholding the information.

I would like to draw your attention to the copyright situation in relation to the material.

Please note that while we are happy to provide this information under your information rights, the content may still be protected by copyright. This means you’re welcome to read and use it for personal use, research, or private study—but if you’d like to share it publicly, reproduce it, or use it in a publication, you may need permission from the copyright holder. If the material was created by us, you can follow our guidance (Re-use of Public Sector Information | Fife Council) to re-use.

If you are dissatisfied with this response, you can ask us to carry out a review of the decision. You must do this in writing (or other permanent form) within 40 working days of the date of this email. Your review should explain why you are dissatisfied with our response and we will respond to you within 20 working days of receipt. A review should be made to the Head of Legal & Democratic Services:

Post: Head of Legal & Democratic Services
Finance & Corporate Services
Fife House
North Street
Glenrothes
KY7 5LY
Email: info.review@fife.gov.uk

If you remain dissatisfied following the review stage, you have the right to appeal to the Scottish Information Commissioner for a decision. Please refer to the following guidance on how to make a valid appeal: www.foi.scot/appeal

Yours sincerely
Becca

Rebecca Hooper
Information Assistant
Information Management & Requests Team (IMRT)
Fife Council
Bankhead
Glenrothes
KY7 6GH