Publication - FOI/EIR release

Red Rock Power lobbying: FOI review

Published: 27 February 2024
Directorate: Energy and Climate Change Directorate
Topic: Public sector
FOI reference: FOI/202200292255 Review of 202200278074
Date received: 3 February 2022
Date responded: 26 April 2022

Information request and response under the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002.

Information requested

You asked for a review of our failure to respond to your request under the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002 (FOISA) for information relating to Red Rock Power Lobbying.

You originally asked for:

On 21.12.2021 representatives of Red Rock Power met with Michael Matheson.

Please could you supply me with all records of communications between representatives of Red Rock Power ltd and Scottish Government ministers and/or their special advisers in the last six months to date.
I understand the purpose of the 21.12.2021 meeting was: "To provide a general update on the development of Inch Cape Offshore Wind and also on Red Rock Power's wider portfolio of renewable electricity assets. To set out the impacts of the higher costs of Inch Cape's lease with Crown Estate Scotland compared to all other projects bidding in the upcoming Contract for Difference (CfD) Allocation Round and the higher transmission charges in Scotland compared to southern parts of Great Britain both of which make it more difficult for the project to bid competitively against other eligible projects and secure a CfD."

Please supply me with all records of held by the Scottish Government that relate to this lobbying activity. This may include, but should not be limited to, ministerial briefing notes, policy discussions with civil servants, or instant messages sent/or received by the minister, or his office staff that are relevant to the discussion.

Response

I enclose a copy of some of the information you requested in the format you asked for.

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 s.38(1)(b) (personal information), and s.33(1)(b) (commercial interests) of FOISA applies to that information. The reasons why those exemptions apply are explained in the Annex to this letter.

While our aim is to provide information whenever possible, in this instance the Scottish Government does not have some of the information you have requested. The reasons why we don't have the information are explained below.

In relation to your first point: attached is a copy of the information you requested relating to communications between representatives of Red Rock Power Ltd and Scottish Government Ministers/and or their special advisers in the last 6 months to date. This includes:

Minutes of a meeting between Cabinet Secretary for Net Zero, Energy and Transport and representatives from Red Rock Power Limited and Inch Cape Offshore Limited which took place 14 September 2021.
Two letters from Inch Cape Offshore Limited to Cabinet Secretary for Net Zero, Energy and Transport, and accompanying presentation (letters dated 27 August 2021 and 07 December 2021).
Two responding letters from Cabinet Secretary for Net Zero, Energy and Transport to Inch Cape Offshore Limited (letters dated 07 October 2021 and 23 December 2021).

In relation to your second point: The Scottish Government does not have the information you have asked for because a meeting did not take place between the Cabinet Secretary for Net Zero, Energy and Transport and representatives of Red Rock Power Ltd on 21 December 2022.

This is a formal notice under section 17(1) of FOISA that the Scottish Government does not have the information you have requested.

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.