Delays to the delivery of the MV Glen Rosa: FOI Review

Information requested

Original Request  202500466501

You asked if we could provide a list of all occasions since 8th May 2024 on which Kate Forbes has communicated to the leadership of Ferguson Marine that there can be no more delays to the delivery of the MV Glen Rosa. In each case, please state the date on which the communication occurred, and the manner in which the communication was delivered. Please also provide whatever written record of each communication is held by the Scottish Government.

Response

I have now completed my review of our response to your request under the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002 (FOISA).

In your request for a review, you expressed that you were not satisfied with the reply to your original Freedom of Information (FoI) request which was allocated reference number 202500466501.

The wording of this initial request is outlined below:

• On 14th May 2025, Deputy First Minister Kate Forbes answered an urgent question in the Scottish Parliament on the delivery date of the MV Glen Rosa, and said this:
• “On the member’s final point, I agree with her, having communicated to the yard’s leadership that there can be no more delays.”
• Please provide a list of all occasions since 8th May 2024 on which Kate Forbes has communicated to the leadership of Ferguson Marine that there can be no more delays to the delivery of the MV Glen Rosa. In each case, please state the date on which the communication occurred, and the manner in which the communication was delivered. Please also provide whatever written record of each communication is held by the Scottish Government.

In your request for a review you expressed that you were not satisfied with the reply to your original Freedom of Information (FoI) request which was allocated reference number 202500466501.
In particular you requested

• Please review the above referenced FOI response. The wording of the response suggests that the request may have been misinterpreted to refer only to the 8 day period 8th -16th May 2025, when it was actually about the period 8th May 2024 - 16th May 2025. ie a little over a year.
• If the response does correctly apply to the period 8th May 2024 - 16th May 2025, can you double check that the information is correct. It seems to be saying that all Scottish Government engagement with the leadership of Ferguson Marine over this period was conducted by officials, and none by Kate Forbes personally. Is that right?

I have been asked to look at your request afresh, to decide whether the original response should be confirmed, with or without modifications, as appropriate, or that a fresh decision should be substituted. With regards to the first part of your review request, I agree that the original request was misinterpreted to refer to the period from 8th-16th May 2025 when it was actually the period from 8th May 2024-16th May 2025. I have concluded ,therefore, that that the original decision should not be upheld and that a different decision should be substituted and by doing so respond to the second part of your review request.

I enclose some of the information you have requested, however some of the information has been withheld since exemptions under sections 30(b)(ii) free and frank exchange of views and s38(1)(b) personal information of FOISA apply to your request.

I believe that the release of this information is in the public interest.

While our aim is to provide you with information wherever we can, on this occasion after reviewing the information on a line-by-line basis we are unable to provide you with some of the information you have requested as statutory exemptions under FOISA apply. Details on what exemptions apply and why can be found in the annex attached.

About FOI

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

FOI 202500471029 - Information Released - Annex

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