Contingency planning regarding Carillion: FOI release

FOI reference: FOI/18/00168
Date received: 18 January 2018
Date responded: 31 January 2018

Information requested

Information on those plans [to manage or eliminate risks associated with Carillion's difficulties] including the reasons and analysis which prompted the Scottish government to specifically target Carillion.

Response

Information on the contingency plans:

The Scottish Government highlighted the risks of Carillion's difficulties to public bodies whom we were aware had contracts with Carillion and has been assisting those organisations in contingency planning since then.

The Scottish public sector's individual contingency plans rest with the individual public bodies who own the contracts. Those plans either involve Joint Vehicle Partners taking over the contracts according to the terms of the contract involved, or they involve commercial negotiations with alternative providers so may be subject to exclusions under Freedom of Information legislation. As the Scottish Government does not hold the contingency plans, we are unable to release them.

Information and analysis that prompted discussions on contingency planning:

The Scottish Government undertake a variety of financial checks on contracts in line with EU procurement regulations. As part of on-going Contract Management of all of its major contracts, the Scottish Government monitors the financial health of its contractors. Standard contract management procedures include regular phone calls between the Scottish Government contract manager and Carillion's account manager. Carillion's July 2017 profit warning is the information that prompted further discussion with Carillion. Further calls between Carillion's public sector customers then followed and contingency planning begun. This included commercial discussions with alternative service providers.

Reasons for not providing information

The Scottish Government does not have the information:

The Scottish Government does not have some of the information you have asked for because contingency plans rest with the individual public bodies who own the contracts.

This is a formal notice under section 17(1) of FOISA that the Scottish Government does not have the information you have requested.

About FOI

The Scottish Government is committed to publishing all information released in response to Freedom of Information requests. View all FOI responses at http://www.gov.scot/foi-responses