Fergus Ewing meeting GFG Alliance, Greensill Capital and GAM Investments: FOI release

Information requested

 

You asked: “Under the Freedom of Information Act, I would like to request information relating to a meeting/dinner held on 13th June 2017 between Fergus Ewing and GFG Alliance, Greensill Capital and GAM Investments.
I would like to request the following related to that meeting:

• correspondence including, but not limited to, emails, text messages and hard copies sent up to one month before and one month after the meeting
• meeting notes
• any information material provided by the attendees to the minister
• the location of the meeting, the duration and who attended
• who paid the bill and a copy of the bill”.

 

Response

 

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 Scottish Government does not hold the information. The reasons for this are explained in the Annex to this letter.

 

Annex A
RESPONSE

Ministerial Engagements data published on the Scottish Government website
(https://www.gov.scot/publications/ministerial-engagements-travel-and-gifts-june-2017/)
shows that Fergus Ewing, Cabinet Secretary for the Rural Economy and Connectivity, met with the GFG Alliance, Greensill Capital and GAM Investments on 13 June 2017.
In relation to this meeting / dinner you requested the following:

 

1. correspondence including, but not limited to, emails, text messages and hard copies sent up to one month before and one month after the meeting

We are not aware of any correspondence and therefore do not hold this information.

 

2. meeting notes

Themes of the discussion were recorded by the GFG Alliance and shared with the Scottish Government following the meeting. These were:

• TH introduced GAM and explained he was there on a due diligence trip to see the GFG operations in Scotland. Visiting Dalzell, KLL and Lochaber.
• TH asked FE re his experience in dealing with GFG which FE reported was positive and part of a long term partnership that was focussed at derisking for both parties whilst maximising the plans for growth at Lochaber and more broadly.
• Broad discussion re GFG ambitions for wheels plant, estates, energy, etc.
• TH reported that he was happy that GFG enjoyed a good working relationship with ScotGov.

 

3. any information material provided by the attendees to the minister

We do not hold the information requested and are not aware of materials being provided at the time.

 

4. the location of the meeting, the duration and who attended

The meeting location was Cail Bruich, 725 Great Western Road, Glasgow and the attendees were:
Fergus Ewing, Lex Greensill, Sanjeev Gupta, Jay Hambro and Tim Haywood.
We do not hold information on the duration of the meeting.

 

5. who paid the bill and a copy of the bill”
We do not hold information on the bill or who paid the bill.

 

To establish whether the information requested is held we conducted a search of the Scottish Government’s Electronic Record and Document Management System and Ministerial and Corporate Correspondence System, and made enquires with the Directorate of Economic Development and the private office of the Cabinet Secretary for the Rural Economy.

 

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.