Single Building Assessment (SBAs) data: EIR release

Information requested

1. A comprehensive dataset of all Single Building Assessments (SBAs) completed or in progress under the Scottish Government’s Single Building Assessment programme, including:

• Full building addresses
• Managing organisations (e.g., building owners, factors, or responsible parties)
• Status of the SBA (e.g., assessment completed, remediation required, remediation complete)
• Any associated dates (e.g., assessment date, submission date)

2. Any associated metadata including record fields, definitions, and data format.

You asked for this information to be provided in a machine-readable format if possible.

Response

I enclose a copy of most of the information you requested in Excel format.

While our aim is to provide information whenever possible, in this instance the Scottish Government does not have some of the information you have requested. Therefore we are refusing your request under the exception at regulation 10(4)(a) of the EIRs. This exception applies to information regarding Single Building Assessments in progress that have not been reported to the Cladding Remediation Programme.

​​​​​​​To deliver at scale while recognising the differing responsibilities of owners, public authorities and developers, the Scottish Government is using a distributed delivery model; due to this, information on Single Building Assessments in progress outwith the Single Open Call (Cladding Remediation: Single Open Call for Expressions of Interest - mygov.scot) is not held by the Scottish Government. This means there may be Single Building Assessments currently in progress that are not yet known to the Cladding Remediation Programme.

​​​​​​​Whilst our aim is to provide information whenever possible, under regulation 10(5)(a) of the EIR’s, a public authority may refuse a request for information as its release may be prejudice to international relations, defence, national security or public safety. This exception applies for part of your request, specifically the request for full building addresses, because disclosure of this particular information would, or would be likely to, prejudice substantially public safety. The releasing of names and/or addresses of buildings into the public domain could risk wilful fire-raising, by individuals who may obtain this information and therefore presents a significant risk to public safety.

​​​​​​​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 disclosing information as part of open, transparent and accountable government, and to inform public debate. However, there is a greater public interest in ensuring that public safety is maintained across Scotland by protecting information that may present a risk to life, if released into the public domain.

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.

EIR 202600505602 - Information Released - Annex

File type

Excel document

File size

20.5 kB