SIC keeps insurance details secret

THE SIC is refusing to give details of insurance claims, totalling around £9m, in which the council is involved.

Of the total of 188 claims currently in progress, there are seven with a value of over £50,000, the largest of which is the £5.25m lawsuit from Lerwick Port Authority – for losses incurred when it had to re-tender a contract for the dredging of Lerwick Harbour following its lengthy dispute with the council over its abandoned project to build a bridge to Bressay.

In a letter responding to a freedom of information request from The Shetland Times, safety and risk manager Sandra Pearson said she was not prepared to make any public statement on the individual claims.

Ms Pearson wrote: “It is my view that the release of any information relating to ongoing claims would substantially prejudice the council, and its insurers or third parties, in relation to any ongoing claims or disputes, or any future claims.

“In addition, it is my view that any release of information in relation to ongoing claims would also constitute a breach of confidence, actionable by the council’s insurers or third parties.”