Northern Isles ferry contracts query: FOI release

Information requested

"1. What data do you hold about the Northern Isles ferry contract?

2. How many complaints has Transport Scotland received regarding the NorthLink ferries which serve Shetland? I am looking for information from 2020 up to and including 2025.

3. How many complaints have come from people with a Shetland postcode (ZE)? I am looking for information from 2020 up to and including 2025.

4. How many people took part in the NIFS4 consultation?"

Response

Part 1
Transport Scotland holds a range of information about the Northern Isles ferry contract, including contract documents, performance and operational data, financial information, correspondence, consultation responses, and internal policy or oversight material.

Part 2 & 3
Transport Scotland does not record correspondence in a way that identifies how many items can be categorised as complaints. We can confirm that over 340 pieces of general correspondence relating to NorthLink were received during the period requested; however, we are unable to determine how many of these constitute complaints.

Regarding your request for the number of complaints from individuals with a Shetland postcode, most correspondence received is submitted by email. Email correspondence does not routinely include postal address information, and therefore we are unable to identify how many may originate from people with a ZE postcode.

As the specific information requested is not held in a reportable format, section 17(1) of FOISA applies.

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

Part 4
For the NIFS4 consultation, there were 1129 responses, of which 1107 responses were received from individuals.

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.