Minutes of Network Strategy Group: FOI release

Information requested

I write to request the minutes of the above [NSPSG] group. As you will see from the response printed below I wrote to CalMac on 20th January requesting them from their organisation. They have as below advised that the request should be directed towards yourselves.

For the avoidance of doubt I am seeking the minutes, transcripts and any other written communications or notes pertaining to the Network Strategy Group and it’s discussions, decisions and comments relating to the commissioning or acquisition of vessels 801 and 802.

Response

The information you have requested can be found in Annex A and the following is an explanation of the format of that information and acronyms used.

Please accept my apologies for the delay in sending this information to you.

You have requested information pertaining to the Network Strategy Group. This group began life as the ‘Project VRS (Vessel Replacement Strategy), which was a tripartite group consisting of Transport Scotland, CalMac Ferries Ltd (CFL) and Caledonian Maritime Assets Ltd (CMAL), with secretariat provided by CFL. Instead of keeping formal minutes, it was decided that it would be more useful to monitor and report on progress and milestones achieved through decision logs and outstanding actions. I have included these trackers and logs where these are within the scope of your request.

As the project progressed it then became the VRDP (Vessel Replacement and Deployment Plan) Group and recommended the procurement of the 2 vessels that became 801/802, as reported in the first VRDP (2014) report:

vrdp-annual-report-2014.pdf (transport.gov.scot)

The project group set up to take forward the Vessel Replacement Strategy (VRS) became the Network Strategy Programme Steering Group in September 2015 which then kept a formal note of the meetings. The information released at Annex A covers the period from the projects beginning in 2014 to the date the contract was awarded, October 2015.

While our aim is to provide information whenever possible, in this instance we are unable to provide some of the information you have requested because the following exemption under FOISA apply:

• Section 38(1)(b) information relating to personal data (UK GDPR), data relating to names of Scottish Government officials and others have been redacted. This exemption applies because the information is personal data of third parties and disclosing it would contravene data protection principles.

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.

Annex A - 202200282711

File type

19 page PDF

File size

1.9 MB