Tretton review correspondence: FOI release

Information requested

We seek all correspondence (electronic or otherwise), meeting notes, and notes of telephone calls between you and William Gillies, Roy Christie, Frank Finlayson, Alastair Kirkwood, and David Tretton between 2018 and 2019 insofar as they relate to the small scale hydro-electricity generation in the ongoing "Tretton review", being the review of Plant and Machinery valuations with particular focus on renewable energy sector valuations and statutory improvements to property including sprinklers systems in implementation of recommendation 6 of the Non-domestic tax rates review: Barclay report.

Response

While the aim of the Scottish Government is to provide information whenever possible, in this instance we are unable to provide some of the information you have requested because exemptions under section s.38(1)(b), of FOISA applies to that information. The reasons why these exemptions apply are explained at the bottom of this letter.

An exemption under section s.38 (1)(b) of FOISA applies to some of the information you have requested. This exemption applies to data that it is considered to be the personal data of a third party. This exemption is subject to the ‘public interest test’.

Under the terms of your request we included correspondence ‘(electronic or otherwise), meeting notes, and notes of telephone calls between Ian Storrie and William Gillies, Roy Christie, Frank Finlayson, Alastair Kirkwood, and David Tretton in 2018 and 2019. We have included only the communications and documents, from or by Ian Storrie. Communications authored or originating from other names listed under the terms of request have not been included as this is considered third party data. Communications or documents from, or referring to, other members of the Tretton Review group have not been included as they do not fall within the scope of your request and are also considered third party data. On this basis the documents that are considered within the scope of your request have been redacted in such a way as to protect the data of those third parties.

The Scottish Government does hold documents that fall within the scope and terms of your request. I have enclosed PDF attachments of the documents that fall within the scope of your request. I have attached below a table of the documents that have been provided to you. The dates listed are those of the most recent correspondence in an email chain.

Note that an initial forwarding email will feature at the top of any correspondence in order to overcome a quirk of the Scottish Government archive system.

Table of Documents

• 18 April 2018 Invitation – Fast Tack Hydro Review (Note: attachments in this email are in the public domain in the Tretton Review report available at the following link: https://www.gov.scot/binaries/content/documents/govscot/publications/publication/2020/01/report-small-scale-hydro-plant-machinery-review/documents/report-small-scale-hydro-plant-machinery-review/report-small-scale-hydro-plant-machinery-review/govscot%3Adocument/report-small-scale-hydro-plant-machinery-review.pdf)
• 9 May 2019 - Correspondence - ‘RE: Hydro Review Update – Old Faskally Decision and Proposed Next Steps’
• 16 July 2019 - Correspondence - ‘Hydro Review Final Report – still very much in draft!’
• 26 July 2019 - Correspondence - ‘FW Final Report except section on divisible balance’
• 7 August 2019 - Correspondence – ‘FW Hydro Review Group – Meeting and Draft Report’
• 19 September 2018 - Correspondence – ‘Email from Ian Storrie to ….. re:Hydro Sector concerns on turnover
• 22 September 2019 - Correspondence - ‘FW Hydro Review Group Meeting’
• 15 October 2019 - Correspondence – ‘FW Hydro Document from Hydro Sector’
• 18 October 2019 - Correspondence - ‘Document from Hydro sector’
• 10 November 2019 - Correspondence – ‘Suggested e-mail on publication’
• 17 December 2019 - Correspondence – ‘ FW Hydro sector amendments to final draft of Tretton Review report’
• 3 April 2018 – 9 November 2018 - Meeting Notes
• Unknown date in 2018-2019 - Meeting/Telephone Note - Image of OneNote file

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