Annex a Foi/19/00491 – Documents Request

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Annex a Foi/19/00491 – Documents Request Annex A FoI/19/00491 – Documents Request:– “correspondence relating to the MV Clipper Ranger from 25th September 2018 until 18th February 2019 including meetings, emails, letters and reports between Scottish Ministers, Transport Scotland, CMAL, CalMac Ferries Ltd, SercoNorthlink and Seatrucks.” Time frame : 25th September 2018 until 18th February 2019 Received: 18 February 2019 Due: 18 March 2019 From: Garrett, Stuart (UK & Europe) [Redacted] Sent: 25 September 2018 12:25 To: TS official Subject: Clipper Ranger Serco Business [Redacted], I’m sure you are sighted on the latest position ref above, but just to ensure all relevant parties are sighted following text message rec’d yesterday evening at 2120hrs. Message was unsolicited and is captured below in its entirety as received from Alistair Eagles, same message may have been sent to others, I’m unsighted in that regard. ‘By Wednesday evening the Ranger will no longer be an option as we will have lifted our board approval on an external charter. Scotland has 2 days left if they want the ship …..this is it.’ [Redacted]I haven’t replied. If you felt it appropriate then I’m happy to do so. Regards, Stuart Stuart Garrett Managing Director, NorthLink Ferries Serco UK & Europe [Redacted] www.serco.com On 25 Sep 2018, at 18:15, TS officials wrote: Alistair FoI_19_00491 - MV Clipper Ranger - Documents - Redacted Final version 21March 2019 Page 1 of 36 Thanks again for a final opportunity to intervene. As I indicated in my earlier response, Scottish Ministers are not going to pursue the MV Clipper Ranger at this time. Thanks again [Redacted] From: Alistair Eagles Sent: 26 September 2018 07:52 To: TS officials Cc: @cmassets.co.uk Subject: RE: Clipper Ranger On a purely practical issue we had a couple of press enquiries yesterday about the Ranger from the usual suspects in Scotland. So far we have ignored but if they persist we may have to say something. In this event would you be OK with something relatively short and benign such as; “Seatruck has discussed the potential sale of the Clipper Ranger but Transport Scotland are not going to pursue this option at this time” Let me know your thoughts? Best regards Alistair Alistair Eagles Seatruck Ferries Limited CEO North Quay, Port of Heysham Heysham Lancashire United Kingdom LA3 2UH www.seatruckferries.com From: TS Official Sent: Monday, 1 October 2018 19:52 To: Minister for Energy, Connectivity and the Islands; Cc: Brannen R (Roy); Pacitti F (Frances);Cabinet Secretary for Transport, Infrastructure and Connectivity;TS Officials Subject: RE: Freelancer [Redacted] - Clipper Ranger - lines for clearance Hi [Redacted] [Redacted] FoI_19_00491 - MV Clipper Ranger - Documents - Redacted Final version 21March 2019 Page 2 of 36 A TS spokesman said: “Capacity in peak periods is one of the challenges for our ferry services, particularly given the very welcome increase in passenger numbers which has followed the successful introduction of Road Equivalent Tariff. “Work is also already underway to appraise, and subsequently to deliver on, further improvements to the ferry services to the Western Isles, including the important Ullapool-Stornoway route. “Over £1.2 billion has been invested in ferry services across the Clyde and Hebrides since 2007, including the MV Loch Seaforth and harbour upgrades at Stornoway and Ullapool. We are continuing to invest in new vessels and ferry infrastructure to renew the fleet, with the second vessel being built at Fergusons going into the Western isles Fleet. We also continue look to seek suitable second hand vessels which could supplement the fleet.” Background info: - Ministers gave serious consideration to the acquisition of the MV Clipper Ranger, but the limitations on her deployment meant that she would have made little contribution to our priority of wider network resilience. The costs of having the vessel in the fleet year round were also prohibitive. - CMAL also had discussions with Seatruck on the possibility of a short-term charter this summer, but the vessel was not available on this basis. - Additional passenger and car capacity has been provided to the Stornoway-Ullapool service in the form of the deployment of the MV Loch Seaforth. Communities on Lewis and Harris will also benefit from the additional capacity on the services to the Western Isles when the second vessel currently under construction at Ferguson Marine Engineering on the Clyde Sent with BlackBerry Work (www.blackberry.com) From: [Redacted] Sent: 08 October 2018 11:55 To: Garrett, Stuart (UK & Europe) [Redacted] Cc: [Redacted]Subject: FW: MV CLIPPER RANGER ...... Serco STUART /[Redacted] We have now received the following firm offer from owners. +++ Between: THE Owners SEATRUCK AND FoI_19_00491 - MV Clipper Ranger - Documents - Redacted Final version 21March 2019 Page 3 of 36 Serco Ltd (the Charterers) Serco House 16 Bartley Wood Business Park Hook Hants RG27 9UY 1. Account Serco Limited 2. MV CLIPPER RANGER as previously described all details about and WOG BUT OWNERS WILL REVERT WITH THE LATEST TIME CHARTER DESCRIPTION 3. Delivery Dropping last outward sea pilot BIRKENHEAD ATDNSHINC 4. Laycan 9 October 2018 . 5. Period : firm time charter period through to 8 November 2018 plus minus five days in chrts option . OWNERS WILL DO A LONGER PERIOD 6. Hire [Redacted]daily. 7. OWNERS BOARD APPROVAL HAS BEEN LIFTED 8. Trading Aberdeen to Orkney and Shetland Island OR West coast Scotland 9. Redelivery always in Owners option, APS either Heysham or Liverpool always arrival the pilot station. [Redacted] 11. Bunkers. The vessel is expected to deliver Birkenhead on the 9 th October 2018 with about ….? Mts of low sulphur fuel oil, and about….? Mts ultra low sulphur oil (gas oil) suitable for the North Sea. The vessel to be delivered with sufficient bunkers for her positioning voyage on delivery , and to be redelivered with approximately the same quantities as on delivery. Charterers will not purchase bunkers on delivery, but will replenish them so as to redeliver with about the same quantities. In the event of their being any discrepancies on bunker FoI_19_00491 - MV Clipper Ranger - Documents - Redacted Final version 21March 2019 Page 4 of 36 quantities on redelivery, same shall be settled at the last delivered price. 12. …… subject Sercos board approval to be lifted latest by noon Tuesday the 9 th October 2018 13. Apart from main terms finally agreed above, and also logical alterations, details of the contract to be as per the previous charter party dated 5 jULY 2012 [Redacted] 15. All details of this fixture to remain strictly private and confidential. +++ Stop end offer Note that a copy of this offer will be going to as well who will be substituti ng for me as from tmmrw. Best regards [Redacted] From: Garrett, Stuart (UK & Europe) Sent: 08 October 2018 12:20 To: TS official Cc: TS official Subject: MV CLIPPER RANGER ...... Serco [Redacted ] [Redacted] [Redacted] [Redacted] I’m not sighted as to whether there was any thoughts to use the CR on West Coast at all but thought best to let you know as to option available. Draft Charter Party Offer supplied in confidence. Stuart Stuart Garrett Managing Director, NorthLink Ferries Serco UK & Europe [Redacted ] FoI_19_00491 - MV Clipper Ranger - Documents - Redacted Final version 21March 2019 Page 5 of 36 www.serco.com From: Allan A (Alasdair), MSP <[email protected]> Sent: Tuesday, October 9, 2018 10:54 am To: Wheelhouse P (Paul), MSP Subject: MV clipper Ranger Hi Paul- sorry to bother you in the middle of conference. Am getting asked by media why the freight ferry Clipper ranger, which used to serve as second vessel to Stornoway, cant be used either there or elsewhere in summer despite being up for both sale and charter. [Redacted] thanks for help. A Alasdair Allan MSP for Na h-Eileanan an Iar BPA airson nan Eilean Siar [email protected] 01851 700357 20 Kenneth Street, Stornoway, HS1 2DR From: Wheelhouse P (Paul), MSP <[email protected]> Sent: 09 October 2018 11:39 To: SpADS Cc: Minister for Energy, Connectivity and the Islands <[email protected]> Subject: Fwd: MV clipper Ranger Hi [Redacted] Can you advise me regarding the point that Clipper Ranger was used before as a second vessel. This was not something said (if my recollection is correct) when TS briefed myself & Cab Sec on the use of the Clipper Ranger. Thanks [Redacted] From: TS official Sent: 09 October 2018 15:31 To: TS official Cc: Pacitti F (Frances) @transport.gov.scot>; [Redacted] Subject: FW: MV clipper Ranger [Redacted] Are you content with the lines below? FoI_19_00491 - MV Clipper Ranger - Documents - Redacted Final version 21March 2019 Page 6 of 36 I have also highlighted the direct question from the Minister in relation to the previous charter of a vessel on Stornoway to Ullapool and provided a suggested answer below. [Redacted], [Redacted] Minister for Energy, Connectivity and the Islands Paul Wheelhouse MSP T: 0300 244 4000 E: [email protected] Councillor Uisdean Robertson Chair of Transportation and infrastructure Committee Comhairlie Nan Eilean Siar Sandwick Road Stornoway HS1 2BW ___ Our ref: 2018/0032524 22 October 2018 Thank you for your letter 20 September 2018 about providing additional ferry capacity on the Clyde and Hebrides ferry service network. We met on 25 September 2018 and I was delighted that our meeting was so constructive. I do know that you met with my colleague Michael Matheson, the Cabinet Secretary for Transport, Infrastructure and Connectivity on 4 October when a number of the same matters were discussed. As both the Cabinet Secretary and I explained in our discussion with you we acknowledge that capacity in peak periods is one of the very challenges for our ferry services, particularly given the very welcome increase in passenger numbers which has followed the successful introduction of Road Equivalent Tariff.
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