Publication - FOI/EIR release

Transport Scotland's pesticide use: EIR release

Published: 21 July 2025
Topic: Public sector, Transport
FOI reference: EIR/202500462562
Date received: 21 April 2025
Date responded: 13 May 2025

Information request and response under the Environmental Information (Scotland) Regulations 2004.

Information requested

1. A list of all -cides used by Transport Scotland. This is inclusive of, but not limited to: any and all avicides, biocides, fungicides, herbicides, insecticides, pesticides, and rodenticides.

2. The annual cost and volume of purchase of each of these -cides, broken down by -cide, from January 2014 to December 2024. Please list this on a spreadsheet (CSV), broken down by:

1) -Cide
2) Product Name
3) Volume Purchased
4) Price Paid
5) Purchase Date

3. A list of each of these -cides' use, by volume.

4. The location and purpose of each specific -cide’s use.

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.

1. List of all -cides used by Transport Scotland, over the period requested:

Roundup Pro Biactive, glyphosate
2,4-D amine
Rosate 360 TF isopropylamine
Icade
Bond
Chikara (flazasulfuron)
Paradise (flazasulfuron)
Amenity Glyphosate 360
Hedland Guard adjuvant
Hedland Foam Free, silicone-based
Asteroid Pro 450 – Glyphosate (360)
Silwet adjuvant
Gallup
Broadshot
"Mixture B” (Adjuvant)
Depitox
Trustee Amenity
Monsanto Amenity
Glyphosate XL
Roundup Pro Vantage
Headland Relay
Aminopyralid
Triclopyr
Round-up Powermax
Grassland
Grazon (Pro)
Thrust
Finale
Bronco 20841
Nomix Dual (Glyphosate & Sulfosulfuron)
Rattler
Clopyrlid

2–4. The accompanying Excel spreadsheets (13 no.) include the available data held, in respect of the criteria included in points 2 – 4, for each year within the requested period across each of the Trunk Road units and DBFO contracts, covering the whole Scottish Trunk Road Network.

There is no further relevant information held by Transport Scotland related to use of herbicide / pesticide (or other) in any other aspect of the agency’s remit. While our aim is to provide information whenever possible, in this instance Transport Scotland does not have some of the information you have requested. Therefore, we are providing the records we hold in relation to your request, whilst applying exception under regulation 10(4)(a) of the EIRs in relation to the records not held. The reasons why that exception applies are explained in Annex 1. to this response.

Annexes to the Standard Response

1. Reasons for not providing information

Transport Scotland does not have the information

Under the terms of the exception at regulation 10(4)(a) of the EIRs (information not held), the Scottish Government is not required to provide information which it does not have. Transport Scotland does not have all of the information you have requested because some of the data has not been routinely (contractually) required from our Supply Chain, and some records, older than three years and pertaining to a defunct set of contracts have not been retained by Transport Scotland or its Supply Chain.

The exception at regulation 10(4)(a) 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. While we recognise that there may be some public interest in information about the use of herbicide and other chemicals on the Trunk Road Network, clearly, we cannot provide information which we do not hold.

2. Supporting information

Transport Scotland is responsible for the management and maintenance of the Scottish Trunk Road Network which is managed on the agency’s behalf by contracted Operating Companies and by Design, Build, Finance, and Operate (DBFO) contractors, where a section of the network has been improved / upgraded through the means of a Public-Private-Partnership procurement model.

As part of the contracted requirements, these companies (Supply Chain) are required to manage the landscape areas of the network within their remit, including control of weeds. The contract does not stipulate the method of control, as this will vary depending on various factors. The use of chemical treatment is permitted, as long as all relevant regulations / legislation are adhered to.

The contracts also require these management companies to report on their use of chemical weed control on an annual basis, with the overall aim of only using chemicals where necessary and at the minimum appropriate volume. The information required relates to the name and volume of chemicals used.

Each Operating Company contract represents one of four separate Trunk Road units (South East, South West, North East, North West) and is awarded for a set period of time, usually between 5 – 7 years. The information requested (records from January 2014 – December 2024) covers three separate past/current contract periods:

3G contract: 31/03/07 – 15/08/14;
4G contract: 16/08/14 – 15/08/20*;
5G (NMC) contract: 16/08/20* to now.

[*the transition between 4G and 5G (NMC) contracts was staggered, with the award for the two southern units being August 2020, and for the two northern units in August 2022.]

The DBFO contracts are typically awarded for a period of thirty years, including the period of construction and ongoing management of the relevant section of the Trunk Road Network. There are currently five operational DBFO contracts, commencing at various times since the first in 1997.

M6/M74 DBFO (J12 to National Border) – start date: 1997
M77 (J5 – J8) – start date: 2003
M80 (J2 – J7) – start date: 2009
AWPR/BT* (A90 Stonehaven N to Blackdog) - start date: 2014
M8, M73, M74 – start date: 2017

[*Aberdeen Western Peripheral Route & Balmeddie – Tipperty]

Transport Scotland has retained herbicide use records across the Trunk Road Network, in general, since 2014/15 up to the present time – however, this is not a complete record and, for some of the earlier years in the period requested, some data is not held. The annual reporting period is from 1st April to 31st March for each of the Trunk Road units. The annual period for the DBFO contracts generally follows the calendar year.

The table, below, indicates the years for which we hold relevant information. Transport Scotland does not hold any information related to this Request for the 3G contract: 31/03/07 – 15/08/14.

(see table in attachment)

The contract requirements are only in relation to the control of weeds and, therefore, pertain exclusively to herbicide use. The contracts seek the name and volume of herbicide used each year. There is no contract requirement for provision of data related to volume purchased, date of purchase, or price paid. The latter is generally considered commercially sensitive, although where this is available it has been provided. There is also no specific requirement for detailed information on location of use, although this is provided in the records, to varying degrees.

About FOI

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.