Renewable UK and Offshore Energies UK correspondence regarding the Energy Skills Passport project: EIR release

Information requested

Correspondence between its Ministers and Officials and representatives of Renewable UK and Offshore Energies UK relating to the development, implementation, and performance of the Energy Skills Passport project. This should include any emails, text messages, Whatsapps, minutes of meetings and any internal documents relating to the project.

I'd like all information since the start of 2024 and it would be good if you could send this information as electronic copies to the above email address.

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.

I enclose a copy of some of the information you requested. We have interpreted your request to include any correspondence between its ministers and officials and representatives of Renewable UK and Offshore Energies UK relating to the development, implementation, and performance of the Energy Skills Passport project. In addition to the correspondence formats you have outlined in your request, we have also deemed meeting invites as being in scope of your request. Correspondence not related to the Energy Skills Passport’s development, implementation and performance has not been considered in scope and therefore has not been included or has been redacted where it is in the text of other in scope information.

An exception under regulation 10(5)(f) [Third Party Interests] of the EIRs applies to some of the information you have requested. This exception applies because disclosure of this information would, or would be likely to, cause substantial prejudice to the interests of a third party (in this case Renewable UK and Offshore Energies UK) who provided information voluntarily to the Scottish Government. 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. The information withheld relates to business planning. Renewable UK and Offshore Energies UK were not legally obliged to supply the information to the Scottish Government, have done so in circumstances where it is not otherwise in the public domain and have not consented to it being disclosed.

An exception under regulation 10(5)(e)[Substantial Prejudice to Confidentiality of Commercial Information] of the EIRs applies to some of the information you have requested. This exception is subject to the 'public interest test' and, taking into account 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. The information withheld relates to contractual matters. This exception applies because disclosure of this particular information would, or would be likely to, prejudice substantially the confidentiality of commercial information provided by the third party and thus cause substantial harm to their commercial interests.

An exception under regulation 11(2)[Personal Information] of the EIRs applies to some of the information requested because it is personal data of a third party and disclosing it would contravene the data protection principles in Article 5(1) of the General Data Protection Regulation and in section 34(1) of the Data Protection Act 2018. This exception is not subject to the 'public interest test', so we are not required to consider if the public interest in disclosing the information outweighs the public interest in applying the exception.

Under regulation 6(1)(b) of the EIRs, we do not have to provide you information which is already publicly available and easily accessible to you in another form or format. If, however, you do not have internet access to obtain this information from the website(s) listed below, then please contact me again and I will send a paper copy.

The Energy Skills Passport Joint Communication Statement dated 22 May 2024 can be found here:

Roadmap for energy skills transition secures backing from wind, oil and gas sectors | Offshore Energies UK (OEUK)

The Energy Skills Passport Joint Communication Statement dated 22 January 2025 can be found here:

Energy Skills Passport launches, helping workers transition across the energy mix | Offshore Energies UK (OEUK)

The joint Ministerial letter to Renewable UK and Offshore Energies UK dated 16 October 2024 can be found here:

Joint Ministerial letter on the Energy Skills Passport

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.

EIR 202500476207 - Information released - Annex

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