Bute House residential refuse collection cost: FOI release

Information requested

Information relating to refuse costs and other running costs associated with Bute House.

Response

Please note that whilst Bute House is the official residence of the First Minister it is also a daily workplace for a number of civil servants.

I have listed your questions below and provided responses to them as follows:

1) The total cost of all publicly funded refuse collections and all other forms of waste disposal from Bute House to date in the financial year that includes the 29th of August 2022, broken down and itemised by individual waste disposal service.

2) The total cost of all publicly funded residential refuse collections and all other forms of residential waste disposal from Bute House to date in the financial year that includes the 29th of August 2022, broken down and itemised by individual waste disposal service.

All of the refuse and waste from Bute House is collected together. Therefore, it is not possible to provide the breakdown of costs that you have requested. From 1st April to 29th August 2022 the total cost of refuse and waste collections/disposal from Bute House was:

Food Waste	£187.28
Glass	£77.72
Mixed Recycling	£502.96
General Waste	£109.24
Total	£877.20

3) The number of all publicly funded or subsidised permanent residential occupants (not visitors to Bute House, not staff only working but not living in Bute House, and not temporary guests temporarily staying residentially) of Bute House to date in the financial year that includes the 29th of August 2022, and their names.

As the official residence of the First Minister of Scotland, it is here that official guests from this country and overseas are met on behalf of the nation. Bute House is also the meeting place of the Scottish Cabinet and the venue for official functions including meetings, receptions, lunches and dinners.

There are no permanent occupants of Bute House.

4) The total cost paid for by public funds for Bute House, of each of the following, to date in the financial year that includes the 29th of August 2022, broken down and itemised to fullest extent possible for an FOI:

a) rent		£17,650
b) insurance		£14,672
	Apr-22	May-22	Jun-22	Jul-22	Aug-22	TOTAL
c) gas	£774.62	£249.84	£151.83	£154.94	Not available	£1,331.23
d) electricity	£611.29	£810.27	£718.47	£589.38	Not available	£2,729.41
e) water	£503.21	£519.97	£503.21	£519.97	Not available	£2,046.36
f) repairs		£17,411.19 (Project Works)
g) garden and/or wall maintenance		£2618.75 (Grounds Maintenance)
h) an itemised breakdown of all other similar costs associated with the upkeep of Bute House paid for with public funds.		£4,442.35 Hard Services Maintenance £7,695.29 Soft Services £ 350.00 Security

5) The names of all commercial providers of all waste and/or refuse disposals/collections from Bute House to date in the financial year that includes the 29th of August 2022, paid for with public funds, and whether this includes the waste/refuse disposal services of the City of Edinburgh Council.

• Changeworks Recycling (general waste, mixed recyclables)
• Keenan Recycling Limited (food)
• Mitie Waste and Environmental Services

I can confirm that City of Edinburgh Council have not been used to provide any refuse services to Bute House.

6) The frequency of all publicly funded waste and/or refuse disposals/collections from Bute House to date in the financial year that includes the 29th of August 2022.

WASTE TYPE	NUMBER OF BINS	FREQUENCY
FOOD WASTE	1	WEEKLY
GLASS	1	WEEKLY
MIXED RECYCLING	1	WEEKLY
GENERAL WASTE	1	2 X WEEKLY

7) The frequency of the billing period for all publicly funded refuse/waste disposals/collections from Bute House (eg weekly, fortnightly, monthly, quarterly, annually, etc) to date in the financial year that includes the 29th of August 2022.

Billing by the contractor is undertaken monthly in arrears

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