Stephen Flynn, Scotland’s Transport Secretary, faced criticism after denying knowledge of a gas leak on CalMac ferry MV Glen Sannox during an appearance before Holyrood's transport committee. Emails released under freedom of information laws show that officials warned him about potential questions regarding the incident and sent updates about it beforehand. Despite this preparation, Flynn claimed to be unaware of the news due to personal calls and insisted he was not briefed on the matter. This contradiction has led to criticism from opposition parties over his handling of the situation.
Written locally by qwen2.5:14b on 2026-10-08,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
Stephen Flynn was sent a briefing about a gas leak on a ferry despite telling a Holyrood committee he knew nothing about it, emails have revealed.
asserted
emails → send → it
The Transport Secretary was quizzed by the transport committee about a potentially explosive incident on board MV Glen Sannox – but denied any knowledge.
However, emails released on Thursday under freedom of information revealed Mr Flynn was sent updates in advance by officials, who warned he may be asked about the leak.
The SNP minister found himself the subject of ridicule over his performance before the committee last month.
uncertain
himself → quiz → committee
The BBC reported that a faulty valve aboard the CalMac ferry released enough methane to fill a four-bedroomed house while 82 passengers were on board – an incident which was not known about for more than a year.
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which → report → year
The Transport Secretary told the committee he had not seen prominent news reports about it on the morning of his appearance because he was ‘Facetiming my kids’ and then later insisted he was ‘not briefed’ about it.
Stephen Flynn found himself the subject of ridicule over his performance before the committee last month
The Transport Secretary was quizzed by the transport committee about a potentially explosive incident on board MV Glen Sannox
But the newly released correspondence has raised questions over his ‘shambolic’ performance.
Scottish Conservative transport spokesman Tim Eagle said: ‘This bombshell revelation raises further serious questions for Stephen Flynn after his shambolic and disgraceful committee appearance.
‘He was like a rabbit in the headlights when he was being grilled on this story but now we learn his officials had made him aware of it.
‘Was Flynn so arrogant he felt he didn’t need to read a brief beforehand or could he not be bothered?
‘Scotland’s island communities have been repeatedly let down by the SNP over the last two decades by their failure to upgrade our ageing ferry network.
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communities → tell → network
‘The last thing they need is a transport secretary who cannot be bothered to do his job.’
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who → need → job
At 8.48am on September 9, the day of Mr Flynn’s appearance at committee, an official emailed him to draw his attention to the news report.
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official → email → report
The email, sent to the ‘Cabinet Secretary for Economy, Tourism and Transport’, detailed what Transport Scotland’s position was if the coverage ‘prompts any questions at committee’.
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coverage → send → committee
Minutes later, at 9.04am, another email was sent updating him on the June 2025 incident described as a ‘critical failure’.
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email → send → failure
It offered ‘additional points’ about the event.
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It → offer → event
Mr Flynn then appeared before the committee at 9.15am – some 27 minutes after the first email was sent.
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email → appear → 9.15am
Both emails were copied into other staff, including Transport Scotland officials Mary Docherty and Chris Wilcock who appeared alongside the minister at Holyrood.
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who → copy → Holyrood
When quizzed about the incident by MSPs, he told committee chairman Willie Rennie: ‘The specific news story to which you are referring is one I would have to go and familiarise myself with.
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I → quiz → myself
‘I didn’t see the news because I was Facetiming my kids - but that is a different matter.’
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that → see → kids
And the SNP MSP, who quit Westminster for the Scottish Parliament earlier this year, later insisted: ‘I was not briefed on this incident.’
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I → quit → incident
Mr Rennie, the Liberal Democrat MSP for Fife North East, said that the ‘civil service tried to tell Stephen Flynn about the ferry gas leak but he didn’t bother to read it’.
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he → say → it
He said: ‘Even though the event happened the year before, even though it was on the radio that morning, even though it was on the front of the BBC website, and even though his officials told him he was still oblivious to this very serious event on the troubled Glen Sannox ferry when he appeared before the Transport Committee.
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he → say → Committee
‘Stephen Flynn owes parliament an explanation for his shoddy behaviour because it is not only disrespectful to passengers and my fellow committee members it also shows that he is not taking this important job seriously.
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he → owe → job
’
While the gas leak happened on June 3, 2025, details of it were only made public last month.
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details → happen → it
The ferry, which is the first UK-built ship capable of directly powering its engines with liquefied natural gas, suffered the methane leak during its sailing from Brodick, in Arran, to Troon, in Ayrshire.
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which → build → Ayrshire
It happened over the course of 12 minutes, with so much methane released that some of it was sucked into a vent and set off gas alarms in the vessel’s generator room.
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some → happen → room
Last night a Transport Scotland spokesman insisted: ‘As this FoI makes clear, the Cabinet Secretary was not briefed on this issue before his appearance at the Transport Committee.
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Secretary → insist → Committee
‘As the timestamp notes, a draft media statement was sent to Mr Flynn’s office shortly before he arrived at the committee and this was not shared with him.
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this → note → him
‘A high level media statement does not constitute formal briefing, which the Cabinet Secretary received later.
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Secretary → constitute → which
‘The previous Cabinet Secretary for Transport was briefed on the issue last year, at the time of the incident.’
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Secretary → brief → incident
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