Figures blanked out in spite of information
chief's ruling
THE (pounds) 126m contract for privatised prison escort duties was finally published yesterday, but with financial details censored, including penalties the firm will face for failing to prevent escapes.
Opposition parties demanded full publication of crucial details, especially when freedom of information is becoming the accepted norm.
They accused the Scottish Executive of flouting the spirit of the new legislation due to come into force next year and running scared of the truth.
Kevin Dunion, the country's new freedom of information commissioner, said it was not good enough merely to cite commercial confidentiality as a reason for withholding information.
Ministers had agreed to publish the Reliance Secure Task Management contract after several people were released by mistake within weeks of the company beginning escorting prisoners to court.
The 152-page contract was placed on the Scottish Prison Service (SPS) website shortly after 3pm, on the eve of the deadline set by Mr Dunion. However, every cash figure in the document was deleted.
It sets out the scores of tasks Reliance must perform as part of its seven-year deal to move prisoners to and from courts, a job it took over from the police and the SPS in April.
Under the terms of the deal signed by the SPS in November on behalf of ministers, Reliance was given the right to strike out anything it thought operationally or commercially sensitive if the contract was ever published. The firm has exercised that right to the full.
Reliance has accepted full blame for releasing three prisoners in error, including a murderer, prompting calls for Cathy Jamieson, justice minister, to resign. Four others have also been released by mistake. The most recent release was on Monday.
Nicola Sturgeon, shadow justice minister, who forced the contract's publication under a code on openness to government information, said she would continue to press for more details.
She said a parliamentary answer received yesterday made it clear ministers did not approve the contract, but delegated that job to the SPS. ''The executive has denied the public the right to access the truth behind the (pounds) 126m Reliance contract and that decision must now be reviewed. Just because Cathy Jamieson couldn't be bothered to read the contract in the first place, even although Scottish ministers are the signatories, doesn't mean the public should be in the dark.''
Annabel Goldie, Tory justice spokesman, said Ms Jamieson's position was untenable, as the contract was now known to be between Reliance and Scottish ministers, with the SPS as their agents, rather than simply between Reliance and the SPS.
Mr Dunion said: ''One of the tests I will be applying is: Is there an over-riding public interest even if there is some harm arising commercially from the release of that information? I am sure the executive are fully aware that embarrassment to the company or themselves is not one of the issues that they can use to withhold information.''
Ms Jamieson said she had asked Robert Black, the auditor general, to bring forward his audit of the contract. ''The implementation of this contract has begun and significant operational problems have been reported.''
Tony Cameron, SPS chief executive, welcomed the decision to ask in Mr Black.
Campbell O'Connell, of Reliance, said: ''Clearly there are some limited aspects dealing specifically with sensitive security and commercial matters which cannot be revealed.''
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