Transport Scotland - Sustrans and Places for Everyone funding: EIR release

Information requested

I was looking to request an update to a couple of previous FOI requests related to Sustrans and Places for Everyone. I would like an update on the following requests to include spending in 2023-24:

• Places for Everyone completed active travel investment (FOI/202300376654, available at https://www.gov.scot/publications/foi-202300376654/).
• Money awarded to Sustrans each year since 2015. (FOI/202300350761, available at: https://www.gov.scot/publications/money-awarded-to-sustrans-each-year-since-2015-foi-release/).
• A Breakdown of Active Travel expenditure: FOI release (FOI/202100266879. available at- https://www.gov.scot/publications/foi-202100266879/).

Response

As the information you have requested is 'environmental information' for the purposes of the Environmental Information (Scotland) Regulations 2004 (EIRs), we are required to deal with your request under those Regulations. We are applying the exemption at section 39(2) of the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002 (FOISA), so that we do not also have to deal with your request under FOISA.

This exemption is subject to the 'public interest test'. Therefore, taking account of all the circumstances of this case, we have considered if the public interest in disclosing the information outweighs the public interest in applying the exemption. We have found that, on balance, the public interest lies in favour of upholding the exemption, because there is no public interest in dealing with the same request under two different regimes. This is essentially a technical point and has no material effect on the outcome of your request.

Response to your request

I enclose a copy of some of the information you requested.

Places for Everyone - completed active travel Investment 2023/24:

Local Authority	2023/24
Aberdeen City Council	£907,000
Angus Council	£3,807,000
Argyll & Bute Council	£905,000
City of Edinburgh Council	£20,706,000
Dumfries and Galloway Council	£732,000
Dundee City Council	£10,923,000
East Ayrshire Council	£1,626,000
East Renfrewshire Council	£3,513,000
Fife Council	£2,585,000
Glasgow City Council	£4,657,000
Inverclyde Council	£1,941,000
Scottish Borders Council	£2,779,000
South Ayrshire Council	£711,000
Stirling Council	£7,223,000
The Highland Council	£2,475,000

Money awarded to Sustrans each year since 2015:

The information you have requested relating to funding awarded to Sustrans has been published on the Transport Scotland website as part of the annual section 70 reports (available at https://www.transport.gov.scot/publication/transport-scotland-section-70-return-2023-24/) that provide a breakdown of funding to grant funded organisations. Further information was also published as part of Parliamentary Questions Ref: S6W-29141, S6W-29138, S6W-29139

A Breakdown of Active Travel expenditure:

The information you have requested relating to a breakdown of active travel expenditure has also been published on the Transport Scotland website as part of the annual section 70 reports (available at https://www.transport.gov.scot/publication/transport-scotland-section-70-return-2023-24/). Further information was also published as part of Parliamentary Questions Ref: S6W-27932, S6W-27041

Under regulation 6(1)(b) of the EIRs, we do not have to give you information which is already publicly available and easily accessible to you in another form or format. If, however, you do not have internet access to obtain this information from the website(s) listed, then please contact me again and I will send you a paper copy.

About FOI

The Scottish Government is committed to publishing all information released in response to Freedom of Information requests. View all FOI responses at https://www.gov.scot/foi-responses.