Due diligence of Glasgow Prestwick Airport: EIR release

Information requested

It would be great if we could get the due diligence on the discussions regarding the plans to turn Prestwick from a passenger airport to a cargo airport? Which considered closing down one of the runways and the reasons why it was rejected and Prestwick was to be sold and the financial aspects
around all this?

And why InfraStrata was made to sell Prestwick to the Scot Gov for £1

I hope that narrows it down on the focus exactly however, if it still needs condensed please let me know. I was also wondering would it be possible to just get that document?

Response

As the information you have requested is 'environmental information' for the purposes of the Environmental Information (Scotland) Regulations 2004 (EIRs), we are required to deal with your request under those Regulations. We are applying the exemption at section 39(2) of the Freedom of
Information (Scotland) Act 2002 (FOISA), so that we do not also have to deal with your request under FOISA.

This exemption is subject to the 'public interest test'. Therefore, taking account of all the circumstances of this case, we have considered if the public interest in disclosing the information outweighs the public interest in applying the exemption. We have found that, on balance, the public interest lies in favour of upholding the exemption, because there is no public interest in dealing with the same request under two different regimes. This is essentially a technical point and has no material effect on the outcome of your request.

We have undertaken a search for information at the time the Scottish Government purchased the airport for discussions in relation to operating the airport on a cargo only basis and closing the second runway. Attached is a copy of some of the information you requested.

While our aim is to provide information whenever possible, in this instance the Scottish Government does not have the document you have requested. Under the terms of the exception at regulation 10(4) (a) of the EIRs (information not held), the Scottish Government is not required to provide information which it does not have. The Scottish Government does not have the information you have requested because the specific proposal that you have asked about would have been something that would have been considered by Infratil, the then owner of Glasgow Prestwick Airport. The Scottish Government purchased Glasgow Prestwick Airport with the express intention of continuing with passenger operations.

This exception is subject to the 'public interest test'. Therefore, taking account of all the circumstances of this case, we have considered if the public interest in disclosing the information outweighs the public interest in applying the exception. We have found that, on balance, the public interest lies in favour of upholding the exception. While we recognise that there may be some public interest in information about the previous development considerations for Prestwick Airport, clearly we cannot provide information which we do not hold.

Also, to be clear, Infratil chose to sell Glasgow Prestwick Airport to the Scottish Government for £1 after they were unable to find an alternative buyer. This was a commercial decision made by Infratil, not a decision that was imposed upon them. The alternative to the Scottish Government purchasing the airport would have been its closure.

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.

FOI202100230803 - Annex

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