Questions in relation to the draft Infrastructure Investment Plan (IIP): FOI release

Information requested

• A breakdown of how the £11billion pounds announced for cities, towns, villages and rural areas announced in the Government’s draft infrastructure plan will be spent,

• A list of the  organisations/government bodies to whom  this money will be allocated, including the amount of money allocated to each organisation

• Any recorded information which details the basis on which the £11bn was allocated to each organisation and the decision making process behind this decision

• Any recorded correspondence between the government and external organisations relating to the money allocated to towns, villages and rural areas

• A breakdown of how the £275 million pounds announced in the draft infrastructure plan to revitalise cities, towns, villages and rural areas will be spent

• A list of organisations who will receive an allocation of the £275m referred to in the Government’s draft infrastructure plan, and the amount of money allocated to each organisation

• Any recorded information which details the basis on which the £275m announced in the draft infrastructure plan to revitalise cities, towns, villages and rural areas was allocated to each organisation and the decision making process behind this decision

• Any recorded correspondence between the government and external organisations relating to the £275m announced in the draft infrastructure plan which has been allocated to towns, villages and rural areas

Response

The Scottish Government published the draft Infrastructure Investment Plan 2021/22 – 2025/26 on 24th September. The IIP delivers the National Infrastructure Mission – and sets a long term vision of infrastructure supporting an inclusive, net zero carbon economy in Scotland. The Draft Plan includes details of around £24 billion of major projects and national programmes that are ready to be confirmed now, including those which are revenue funded.

Your enquiry relates to the News Release that was published on the day of the publication which states: “The Draft IIP includes: more than £11 billion for our cities, towns, villages and rural areas, including £275 million to revitalise town centres and nearly £2 billion on health infrastructure and equipment.” The “more than £11 billion” figure relates to the list of projects and programmes that are delivering against the Theme of ‘Building Resilient and Sustainable Places’, covered in Chapter 7 – pp 40 – 42. The values of investment are set out against individual projects and programmes there and total approximately £11.5 Billion over the next 5 years.

As stated in the draft IIP (page 27), we will publish the final Pipeline of major projects and programme for this Plan when it is finalised. Additionally, as new projects and programmes are developed they can be added to the pipeline when they are suitably ready, and consequently reported to Parliament.

Alongside the Capital Spending Review Framework – acting as a dual strategic approach meaning confidence in matching funding and finance to decisions about what infrastructure to prioritise - this Framework document sets out the planning assumptions that have been used to support the decisions that have been made.

Discussions will take place between Scottish Government and all relevant bodies in order to establish the most appropriate approach to delivering the projects and programmes set out in the Draft IIP. Where relevant, the text of the IIP identifies appropriate delivery body for particular programmes. In some cases – for example Scottish Water, which has a separate, externally-regulated process for setting spending – the monies will be allocated directly. In other areas, funding will be allocated through existing programmes which are jointly administered by Scottish Government and other bodies such as Councils (e.g. via the Learning Estate Investment Programme, Low Emissions Zones, Local Housing Strategies), and projects delivered in collaboration with NHS Boards, the Scottish Prison Authority, and Scottish Funding Council.

Within this year’s Programme for Government and the Draft IIP, we have committed to establishing a Place Based Investment Programme, which will be backed by £275 million for community led regeneration and town centre revitalisation. We are yet to announce specific details of how the £275 million will be invested over the next five years, but will work with partners including local authorities on how it will be best deployed to have greatest impacts locally.

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