Ferguson Marine expenses: FOI release

Information requested

1. For each financial year since the government took ownership of Ferguson Marine, the amount spent on external advice provision relating to the yard.

a) This should include but not be limited to; due diligence work, legal advice, consultancy work, or other services for which external individuals or companies were hired to undertake on behalf of either the Scottish Government or Ferguson Marine itself (but paid for through Scottish Government monies).

b) Please provide a detailed list of the work undertaken in each financial year, the dates of the contract, and the names of the companies contracted.

Response

Some of the information you have requested is available from the sources listed below. Under section 25(1) of FOISA, we do not have to provide you with information which is already reasonably accessible to you. If, however, you do not have internet access to obtain this information from the website(s) listed, then please contact me again and I will send you a paper copy.

Relevant Information Resources

Information on Ferguson Marine contracts for services;

Buyer View - Public Contracts Scotland

Spending reports available in excel to aid examination of detail;

Government spend over £25,000: monthly reports - gov.scot (www.gov.scot)

Previous FoI publications that you may find useful;

• Consultancy fees data: FOI release - gov.scot (www.gov.scot)
• Consultancy fees paid to specific companies: FOI release - gov.scot (www.gov.scot)
• Ferguson Marine spending since Scottish Government takeover: FOI release - gov.scot (www.gov.scot)
• Purchase of the Ferguson Marine shipyard in Port Glasgow (Company): FOI release - gov.scot (www.gov.scot)

Response to Question 1a

We have provided some information in response to your request within the Annex of this letter which summarises costs incurred by the Scottish Government for the provision of specialist consultancy or adhoc services, including commercial advice, specialist legal advice, property valuation, assets valuation and independent shipbuilding advice, relevant to some or all the time periods mentioned in your request.

Response to Question 1b

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 an exemption under section 30(c) - Substantial Prejudice to Effective Conduct of Public Affairs - applies to some of the information you have requested. It is our view that disclosing this information would substantially prejudice our ability to conduct business with our service providers because release of specific contract details could create a commercial disadvantage. Th is would constitute substantial prejudice to the effective conduct of public affairs in terms of the exemption.

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. We recognise that there is a public interest in disclosing information as part of open, transparent and accountable government. However, there is a greater public interest in protecting the process of certain details of work undertaken and ensuring that the Scottish Government is able conduct this aspect of its business effectively now and into the future.

You will find some of the details and dates of the work undertaken in the Annex of this letter alongside the companies and amounts paid.

Please also see below a list of companies and their purpose:

• Price Waterhouse Coopers [Financial advisory services]
• MacRoberts [legal services]
• Quo Imus Limited [Financial advisory services]
• Grant Thornton [Financial advisory services]
• Teneo [Due Diligence]
• Woodbank Marine [shipbuilding expertise]
• IRG /Odgers Berndtson [recruitment]
• FRP Advisory Trading [Financial advisory services]
• Harper Macleod [legal services]
• Haskoning DHV [Engineering/ Design Consultancy]

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.

FOI - 202300384823 - Information released - Annex

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