Computer, laptop and other IT related costs: FOI release

FOI reference: FOI/17/02145
Date received: 15 September 2017
Date responded: 13 October 2017

Information requested

1. Spending on computers and laptops by your department, per calendar year since 1st January 2013 (separated by year);

2. Number of computers and laptops purchased by your department, per calendar year since 1st January 2013 (separated by year);

3. Number of computers and laptops disposed by your department, per calendar year since 1st January 2013 (separated by year);

4. IT department spending per year (everything: hardware, software, labour costs etc.), per calendar year since 1st January 2013 (separated by year); and

5. Number of computers and laptops lost by your department since 1st January 2013

Response

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

In response to question 1 and 2 (above), the core Scottish Government does not centrally hold records of all laptops and desktops purchased as individual business areas may purchase their own equipment. Therefore, the costs of locating, retrieving and providing the complete information requested would exceed the upper cost limit of £600. However, the majority of laptop and desktops will be bought through centralised IT purchasing and details are listed below:

Year	Total Laptop Spend	Total Laptop Purchased	Total Desktop Spend	Total Desktops Purchased
2013	£780,792.48	1094	£0.00	0
2014	£75,879.23	116	£524,839.20	1576
2015	£612,496.01	946	£288,896.40	861
2016	£1,576,273.66	3620	£155,184.00	490
2017	£2,374.74	5	£0.00	0

In response to question 3 (above), the core Scottish Government has disposed of the following equipment through centralised contracts:

Year	Laptops	Desktops
2013	92	577
2014	707	745
2015	420	1117
2016	570	2663
2017	725	530

In response to question 4 (above), while our aim is to provide information whenever possible, in this instance the costs of locating, retrieving and providing the information requested would exceed the upper cost limit of £600. The reason for this is that to locate and retrieve that information we would need to conduct a search of all of the records of the Scottish Government. It may help if I explain that the core Scottish Government does not centrally hold records of all IT spend as IT projects are largely devolved to individual Directorates. Under section 12 of FOISA public authorities are not required to comply with a request for information if the authority estimates that the cost of complying would exceed the upper cost limit, which is currently set at £600 by Regulations made under section 12.

You may, however, wish to consider reducing the scope of your request in order that the costs can be brought below £600. For example, you could specify the items you are interested in or restrict your request to a specific business area of the Scottish Government, as this may allow us to limit the searches that would require to be conducted. You may also find it helpful to look at the Scottish Information Commissioner's 'Tips for requesting information under FOI and the EIRs' on her website at: http://www.itspublicknowledge.info/YourRights/Tipsforrequesters.aspx.

In response to question 5 (above), the following assets have been reported lost or stolen:

Year	Laptops	Desktops
2013	6	2
2014	5	2
2015	7	0
2016	10	0
2017	4	0

To protect Scottish Government information Scottish Government devices are password protected for each individual user and hard-disk drives are protected by encryption software.

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