Correspondence with ScotRail/Abellio and Transport Scotland relating to UK Furlough Scheme: FOI release

Information requested

All correspondence (meetings, emails, text messages, whatsapp messages, letters) between ScotRail/Abellio, Transport Scotland and Government Ministers relating to the UK Furlough Scheme between March 2020 and September 2020.

Response

After undertaking a search of our electronic systems and files I can confirm that there are no pieces of correspondence that are solely in relation to the subject matter you have asked for i.e. correspondence between Abellio ScotRail, Transport Scotland and Scottish Minister relating to the UK Furlough Scheme between March 2020 and September 2020.

I can however confirm that the following media lines have been used consistently since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic, by Transport Scotland officials and Ministers, in terms of the fact no direct employees of the ScotRail or Caledonian Sleeper franchises were furloughed at any point; Network Rail employees are a matter for the UK Government:-

“Since the start of the pandemic period, the Scottish Government has supported Scottish Train Operating Companies with around £1bn of funding, including an additional circa £450m through the Emergency Measures Agreements. This has ensured that every railway employee has benefited from full pay and job security, even at times when demand and revenue fell by up to 95%, and whilst those in other industries faced furlough and redundancies”.

The above wording is that which falls into the scope of your information request as it references the furlough scheme hence why I am bound to disclose under FOISA regulations.

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.