2017 review of vehicle idling/roadside vehicle emissions testing: EIR release

Information requested

A copy of a report and any other documents which were produced as a result of a review of vehicle idling/roadside vehicle emissions testing.

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. While our aim is to provide information whenever possible, in this instance the Scottish Government does not have some of the information you have requested.

Therefore we are refusing your request under the exception at regulation 10(4)(a) of the EIRs. Under the terms of the exception at regulation 10(4)(a) of the EIRs (information not held), the Scottish Government is not required to provide information which it does not have.

The Scottish Government does not have the information you have requested because having conducted reasonable and proportionate searches we have not identified any records within the scope of your request. This exception 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 exception. We have found that, on balance, the public interest lies in favour of upholding the exception. While we recognise that there may be some public interest in information about a report on vehicle emission testing, clearly we cannot provide information which we do not hold.

Some information has been redacted under Regulation 11 (Personal Data) as it contains personal information and disclosing it would contravene the data protection principles in Article 5(1) of the General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR) and in Section 34(1) of the Data Protection Act 2018. This exception is not subject to the ‘public interest test’.

Response

The Scottish Government considered the scheme after the first two years, but decided no changes were required so there is no report.

Scottish Government email correspondence to local authorities relating to the outcome of the review:

Mon 13/03/2017 15:45

From: REDACTED @gov.scot

To: REDACTED@glasgow.gcsx.gov.uk; REDACTED@westlothian.gcsx.gov.uk; REDACTED@south-ayrshire.gov.uk; REDACTED@northlan.gcsx.gov.uk; REDACTED@eastlothian.gcsx.gov.uk); REDACTED@eastlothian.gov.uk; REDACTED@eastrenfrewshire.gov.uk; REDACTED@west-dunbarton.gov.uk; REDACTED@wdc.gcsx.gov.uk; REDACTED@westdunbarton. gov.uk; REDACTED@falkirk.gov.uk; REDACTED@falkirk.gov.uk; REDACTED@edinburgh.gov.uk; REDACTED@edinburgh.gov.uk; REDACTED@renfrewshire.gcsx.gov.uk; REDACTED@renfrewshire.gcsx.gov.uk

Subject: Vehicle Emissions Testing Funding 2017/18

Thanks to those of you who attended last Friday’s meeting, it generated some very useful discussion. A summary of the main points:

• Conventional roadside emissions testing is generating increasingly diminishing returns in terms of air quality benefits given that very few vehicles fail. However it still performs a useful role e.g. in acting as a focus for other enforcement activities.
• Idling enforcement and advertising/publicity campaigns continue to be valuable activities.
• Advertising can be expensive, but there is potential for reducing costs by doing this in different ways.
• EDAR and other alternative emissions testing technologies may have a greater role to play in future, perhaps mainly at central government level, but require further investigation of potential benefits.
• Consensus that changes to the way the scheme operates are required over the coming years to ensure limited funds are being used to maximum effect.
• Less focus on roadside testing will be introduced gradually – would be counterproductive to make sudden immediate changes. Consideration will be given as to how a reduced testing programme could be co-ordinated more efficiently with other activities.
• More focus on idling enforcement and publicity/advertising. For the latter, although local initiatives will remain important, greater value could be obtained by linking to national work, particularly the communications strategy being developed through Cleaner Air for Scotland.

The 2017/18 funding application form is attached and the covering letter highlights how the scheme will be refocused over the next few years. Completed applications should be submitted to me by 21 April.

[REDACTED]
Air Quality Policy Manager
Scottish Government
Directorate For Environment & Forestry
Environmental Quality Division
[REDACTED]

• ANNEX A: Covering letter (attached)
• ANNEX B: Application form (attached)

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.

EIR - 202300357359 - Annex A-B

File type

4 page PDF

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101.8 kB