Loans to Ferguson Marine: correspondence with Audit Scotland and the Finance Committee: FOI release

FOI reference: FOI/18/02658
Date received: 18 October 2018  
Date responded: 20 October 2018

 

 

You asked two questions relating to the Cabinet Secretary for Finance, Economy and Fair Work’s appearance at Topical Questions on Tuesday 18 September regarding Ferguson Marine, namely:
 
1. To ask Scottish Ministers to provide all correspondence including emails with dates or any communications thereof that confirms that the Cabinet Secretary advised Audit Scotland that the Government had provided commercial loan facilities of up to £45 million between September 2017 and June 2018.
 
2. To ask the Scottish Government to provide the evidence that supports Mr Mackay's assertion that that he informed the Finance and Constitution Committee of the loans on 24th April and 27th June 2018.  The statement implies that Mr Mackay informed ALL of the members of that Committee rather than the Convener alone, that being Bruce Crawford.  Correspondence of any fromat including emails and all communications between Mr Mackay and the Committee is required.

 

I enclose a copy of some of the information you requested.  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 exemptions under sections of FOISA apply. The reasons why these exemptions apply are explained below.

 

 

Exemptions apply, subject to the public interest test.
 
An exemption under section 33 (1(b)) of FOISA applies to some of the information you have requested because it relates to commercial information that may prejudice the company.
 
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.