Grangemouth flood protection scheme: EIR Review

Information requested

Original request 202300387850

1. A copy of the Scottish Government independent technical review carried out by Mott MacDonald on the Grangemouth Flood Protection Scheme.

2. A copy of the comments by the Grangemouth Flood Protection Project Team to Scottish Government on this final report.

Response

I have now completed our review of our response to your request under the Environmental Information (Scotland) Regulations 2004 (EIRs).

Your request

1. A copy of the Scottish Government independent technical review carried out by Mott MacDonald on the Grangemouth Flood Protection Scheme

2. A copy of the comments by the Grangemouth Flood Protection Project Team to Scottish Government on this final report.

Your request for review

“I believe it is in the public interest that the technical review of the Grangemouth Flood Protection Scheme (a scheme which is also being undertaken by Jacobs and where costs have soared) IS made public. There is a genuine need and concern for this information to be public and available to communities that will be irreversibly impacted.”

Review outcome

Question 1.

I have concluded that a different decision should be substituted.

In conducting my review, I have reconsidered the information previously withheld, revisiting the application of the exception and the public interest test in each instance.

I have determined that all of the information previously withheld under regulation 10(4)(e) (internal communication) should be disclosed, and that the exception does not apply. Therefore, I am withdrawing our reliance on the exception and have enclosed a copy of this information in Annex B to this letter.

I am however satisfied that the information previously withheld under regulation 11(2) (personal information) would remain exempt from disclosure under this exception. I have set out further reasoning for my conclusion in Annex A to this letter.

Question 2.

I have concluded that a different decision should be substituted.

In conducting my review, I have reconsidered the information previously withheld, revisiting the application of the exception and the public interest test in each instance.

I have determined that the exception at 10(4)(e) (internal communications) does not apply to this information and am therefore withdrawing reliance on the exemption. However, I have concluded that the exception at 10(5)(f) (substantial prejudice to the interests of a third party) applies instead to this information. I have set out further reasoning for my conclusion in Annex A to this letter.

I am however satisfied that the information previously withheld under regulation 11(2) (personal information) would remain exempt from disclosure under thus exception. I have set out further reasoning for my conclusion in Annex A to this letter.

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.

EIR 202400392172 - Information released - Annex A

File type

1 page PDF

File size

79.9 kB

EIR 202400392172 - Information released - Annex B

File type

34 page PDF

File size

807.8 kB