Scottish Government building maintenance backlog: FOI release

Information requested

Today, the UK Government’s National Audit Office published this: https://www.nao.org.uk/pressreleases/government-building-maintenance-backlog-is-at-least-49-billion-spending-watchdog-says/. They say that the Government building maintenance backlog is £49 billion.

1. As far as the Scottish Government is aware, does this figure include government buildings in Scotland? If so, to what extent?

2. Does the Scottish Government hold a similar estimate for just government buildings in Scotland? Does it have one covering just buildings managed under devolved competence (i.e. excluding directly managed facilities such as the Faslane military base)? If so, please provide all such estimates held by the Scottish Government, alongside the date they were compiled/completed, an account of what buildings are included in the estimate, and an account of what things are included in the accounted definition of required maintenance items for buildings.

3. Does the Scottish Government intend to collate or direct another body to collate such a figure for Scotland alone and/or for Scottish buildings which are ultimately the responsibility of Scottish Ministers? If so, please provide details. If the Scottish Government anticipates and expects a third party to compile such a figure, please provide details of this too.

Response

1. As far as the Scottish Government is aware, does this figure include government buildings in Scotland?

The Scottish Government does not hold information on how the UK Government’s National Audit Office (NAO) calculated the £49 billion maintenance backlog figure. We are unable to confirm whether this includes government buildings in Scotland. You may wish to contact the NAO directly for clarification on the scope of their assessment.

2. Does the Scottish Government hold a similar estimate for just government buildings in Scotland?

The Scottish Government does not hold a directly comparable figure to the NAO’s estimate. However, following building condition surveys carried out in 2018 for the core Scottish Government estate, and last updated in 2021, the identified backlog maintenance costs are estimated at:

• £15.3 million for building fabric
• £18.1 million for mechanical and electrical (M&E) systems

These figures are split across various maintenance categories based on condition assessments. This information applies only to the core Scottish Government estate and does not extend to all devolved public sector buildings in Scotland, as these are managed by individual public bodies and agencies.

3. Does the Scottish Government intend to collate such a figure for Scotland alone and/or for Scottish buildings under Scottish Ministers?

The Scottish Government is currently undertaking a programme of building condition surveys across its core estate. The findings from these surveys will inform asset management decisions. However, at present, there is no plan to produce a single, consolidated estimate of backlog maintenance across all devolved public sector buildings in Scotland. Public bodies responsible for their own estates conduct their own condition assessments and maintenance planning.

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The Scottish Government is committed to publishing all information released in response to Freedom of Information requests. View all FOI responses at https://www.gov.scot/foi-responses.