A9 Dualling investment: EIR release

Information requested

Please provide the following information:

1. Total amount of money invested, per year, into all A9-related costs, between 2015 and present date by the Scottish Government.
2. Total amount of money projected to be invested, per year, from present date to the end of 2026 into all A9-related costs by the Scottish Government.
3. Total amount of money invested, per year, into A9 dualling, between 2015 and present date by the Scottish Government.
4. Total amount of money projected to be invested, per year, from present date to the end of 2026 into A9 dualling by the Scottish Government.
5. Total amount of money spent by the Scottish Government, from 2007 to present date, into A9 dualling by the Scottish Government.
6. In present-day GBP, Transport Scotland’s current best working estimate for the remaining cost of dualling the entire A9.

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:

1. Total amount of money invested, per year, into all A9-related costs, between 2015 and present date by the Scottish Government.

Please find below table containing maintenance and operation expenditure on the A9 trunk road between Keir Roundabout and Scrabster. We hold this information in financial years rather than calendar years and rounded to the nearest £100,000.

Financial Year	A9 trunk road expenditure on maintenance
2015/2016	£13.8M
2016/2017	£17.7M
2017/2018	£16.6M
2018/2019	£22.7M
2019/2020	£20.1M
2020/2021	£30.8M
2021/2022	£28.2M
2022/2023	£28.1M
2023/2024 (up to Mid-October)	£14.2M
Total	£192.2M

Please find below table containing the remaining information requested in respect to A9 road expansion expenditure which we hold in calendar years from 1 January 2015 to date of your request, 25 September 2023. The figures include spend from 2015 to date for taking the various component projects through design and statutory process stages, acquisition of land, demolition and preparatory works, procurement of contractors to construct the works, as well as costs of construction works undertaken to date. The figures provided are inclusive of VAT where applicable.

Calendar Year	A9 road expansion expenditure
2015	£29,956,655.95
2016	£48,259,882.80
2017	£50,984,903.17
2018	£55,951,535.81
2019	£97,887,208.63
2020	£67,372,824.23
2021	£54,114,361.76
2022	£44,103,479.18
2023	£17,528,691.94
Total	£466,159,543.47

To note the figures include the following road expansion projects;

• A9 Crubenmore Extension
• A9 Helmsdale - Ord Of Caithness Phase 2
• A9 Dualling - P1- Luncarty Pass of Birnam Study
• A9 Dualling - P2- Pass of Birnam to Tay Crossing
• A9 Dualling - P3- Tay Crossing to Ballinluig
• A9 Dualling - P4- Pitlochry to Killiecrankie
• A9 Dualling - P5- Killiecrankie to Pitagowan*
• A9 Dualling - P6 - Pitagowan to Glen Garry*
• A9 Dualling - P7- Glen Garry to Dalwhinnie
• A9 Dualling - P8- Dalwhinnie to Crubenmore
• A9 Dualling - P9- Crubenmore to Kincraig
• A9 Dualling - P10- Kincraig to Dalraddy
• A9 Dualling - P11- Dalraddy to Slochd
• A9 Dualling - P12- Tomatin to Moy
• A9 Dualling Preliminary Engineering Support Services
• A9 Dualling Strategic Environmental Assessment
• A9 Dualling Programme Delivery
• A9 Ballinluig Junction Improvement
• A9 Berridale Braes Improvement
• A82/A9 Longman Junction

* A9 Dualling projects P5 (Killiecrankie to Pitagowan) and P6 (Pitagowan to Glen Garry) were combined in 2016/17 and became known as P5 Killiecrankie to Glen Garry.

2. Total amount of money projected to be invested, per year, from present date to the end of 2026 into all A9-related costs by the Scottish Government.

Spend on our trunk road improvement projects is managed within the Capital Land and Works allocation of £121.9 million as part of the Motorway and Trunk Roads Spending Plans set out in the Scottish Budget: 2023-24. This covers preparation and delivery of a range of projects and programmes including A9 Dualling Perth to Inverness as well as a number of other projects and programmes. Spend on each individual project is managed with the Capital Land and Works allocation budget line which reflects the scope of work anticipated to be taken forward within the financial year. In regards to projected spend from 2024-26 on our trunk road improvement projects this will depend on future budget announcements.

An exception under regulation 10(4)(e) of the EIRs (internal communications) applies to the information requested because it is internal communication between Transport Scotland / Scottish Government officials and Scottish Ministers. The reasons why that exception applies are explained below.

Estimates of future costs form part of the work to determine the most suitable procurement options for the remaining sections of the A9 dualling . This is a complex exercise which looks at a number of factors including how the project can be delivered most efficiently by the industry, whilst minimising disruption to road users and helping to support economic recovery post-COVID. This work is expected to conclude in Autumn 2023 and an update on a new timescale for completion will be provided to the Scottish Parliament at that time.

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. We recognise that there is some public interest in release as part of open, transparent and accountable government, and to inform public debate. However, this is outweighed by the public interest in maintaining high quality policy and decision-making, and in the properly considered implementation and development of briefing material, policies and decisions. This means that Ministers and officials need to be able to consider all available options and to debate those rigorously, to fully understand their possible implications and therefore would not be appropriate to release information ahead of that process concluding.

3. Total amount of money invested, per year, into A9 dualling, between 2015 and present date by the Scottish Government.

Please find below table containing the information requested which we hold in calendar years (1 January 2015 to date of your request, 25 September 2023).The figures include spend from 2015 to date for taking the various component projects through design and statutory process stages, acquisition of land, demolition and preparatory works, procurement of contractors to construct the works, as well as costs of construction works undertaken to date. The figures provided are inclusive of VAT where applicable. 

Calendar Year	A9 Dualling Programme Spend
2015	£29,895,285.53
2016	£47,554,849.57
2017	£50,378,656.27
2018	£54,088,471.48
2019	£91,142,608.34
2020	£62,102,739.40
2021	£51,257,633.94
2022	£43,491,635.84
2023	£14,562,974.48
Total	£444,474,854.84

To note, the figures reported do not include spend on land, compensation and maintenance period between 2015 and 2017 for the A9 Crubenmore Dual Carriageway Northern Extension project, which opened in September 2011.

4. Total amount of money projected to be invested, per year, from present date to the end of 2026 into A9 dualling by the Scottish Government.

Please refer to answer provided for question 2.

5. Total amount of money spent by the Scottish Government, from 2007 to present date, into A9 dualling by the Scottish Government.

Total spend on the A9 Dualling programme from 2012 to the date of your request is approximately £459,859,180.97 inclusive of VAT where applicable. The figures include spend from 2012 to date for taking the various component projects through design and statutory process stages, acquisition of land, demolition and preparatory works, procurement of contractors to construct the works, as well as costs of construction works undertaken to date. The figures provided are inclusive of VAT where applicable. 

In regards to expenditure on A9 Dualling Programme between 1 January 2007 to 31 December 2011, exception at regulation 10(4)(a) of the EIRs (information not held) applies.

While our aim is to provide information whenever possible, in this instance Transport Scotland does not have the information you have requested under the terms of the exception at regulation 10(4)(a) of the EIRs (information not held), Transport Scotland is not required to provide information which it does not have. 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. While we recognise there may be some public interest in expenditure on A9 Dualling Programme between 1 January 2007 to 31 December 2011, clearly we cannot provide information which we do not hold.

I can confirm that Transport Scotland’s financial records for A9 Dualling Programme between 2007 and 2011 cannot be accurately calculated due to a change in systems.

6. In present-day GBP, Transport Scotland’s current best working estimate for the remaining cost of dualling the entire A9.

Please refer to answer provided for question 2.

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.