Co2 monitoring in schools across Scotland: FOI release

Information requested

“A Nov 21 submission to the education committee by the Scottish Government references data on Co2 monitoring in schools across Scotland: https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-andcommittees/committees/current-and-previous-committees/session-6-education-children-and-youngpeople-committee/correspondence/2021/learning-estate-co2-monitoring

Please provide the following information:

A copy of the most up-to-date data on Co2 monitoring in schools, including information such as assessment completion rates and actual Co2 recordings taken.”

Response

I can confirm that the Scottish Government holds information falling within the scope of your request. All information held that is in scope, with the exception of exempt material, is attached in the Annex to this letter.

While our aim is to provide information whenever possible, in this instance, we are unable to provide a small amount of the information you have requested because an exemption under 38(1)(b) (personal information) of FOISA applies to that information. This is because it is personal data of a third party, i.e. names/contact details of individuals, and disclosing it would contravene the data protection principles in Article 5(1) of the General Data Protection Regulation and in section 34(1) of the Data Protection Act 2018. This exemption is not subject to the ‘public interest test’, so we are not required to consider if the public interest in disclosing the information outweighs the public interest in applying the exemption.

Some information that is out of scope of your request has not been included in our response. I thought you may find it helpful for me to provide some context regarding the documentation being provided to you within the annex to this letter. In September, we wrote to all local authorities to request that initial CO2 assessments be undertaken in all learning, teaching and spaces within their schools. As you will see from the documentation provided, all local authorities have confirmed that initial CO2 assessments are complete.

Following completion of those initial assessments, the Scottish Government has continued to work with local authorities to agree an appropriate approach to ongoing monitoring. Our updated guidance on reducing risks in schools includes advice on ratios of monitors to spaces and frequency of assessments in respect of ongoing monitoring.

The information provided in response to this request represents a snapshot of the position at that particular point in time, and should not be taken as reflecting the current position in local authorities. Informal updates have continued to be shared via regular engagement with local authorities, for example at their Association of Directors of Education in Scotland Resources Network and Scottish Heads of Property Services Network meetings. Local authorities have continued work on ventilation since the last formal updates were provided. The Scottish Government is in the process of agreeing updated reporting arrangements with local authorities, to support the provision of further updates for transparency purposes and to inform longer term policy development.

The First Minister announced up to £5 million additional capital funding on 11th January 2022 to further support local authorities with continuing improvements to ventilation over the winter term, in line with the current guidance on reducing risks in schools and funded ELC settings. This is intended as a ‘top up’ to the £10 million already allocated to local authorities for CO2 monitors and ventilation improvements in the Autumn term, which was in addition to the previous allocation of £90 million COVID logistics funding which was provided to local authorities for uses including improved ventilation.

Due to the size of the files we are unable to upload the documents referred to above. If you wish to consider, please contact us at the address below and we will be happy to provide.

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.