Transport Scotland - impact of budget cuts on major road infrastructure maintenance projects: FOI release

Information requested

I am writing to request information under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 regarding the impact of 2023/2024 budget cuts on major road infrastructure maintenance projects, with a specific focus on the introduction or enforcement of Delay Repayment Mechanisms (DRMs) in contracts with external contractors for road repairs and upgrades managed by Transport Scotland.

Please provide the following information covering the period from 1 October 2022 to the date of this request:

1. All internal reports, briefing notes, or presentations produced at director, executive, or board level discussing how budget cuts in 2023/2024 have affected road maintenance and upgrade projects (including any prioritisation or postponement decisions).

2. A list of all live and completed road infrastructure maintenance or upgrade projects impacted by these budgetary changes, including project names, locations, budget alterations, contractors, and revised timelines, preferably in dataset or spreadsheet form.

3. Full copies of contracts, contract amendments, or addenda relating to Delay Repayment Mechanisms (DRMs) agreed with contractors for the above projects during the specified period, including any relevant procurement documents, tender evaluation summaries, and contract award notices.

4. Minutes and action notes of all meetings (including steering groups, executive meetings, and project boards) where DRMs or budget-induced project delays were discussed, including meetings with external contractors and partner organisations (such as local councils or Network Rail) referencing DRM clauses or funding reallocations.

5. Copies of all correspondence (including but not limited to emails, letters, and memos) between Transport Scotland, contractors, and the Scottish Government related to the application, negotiation, or enforcement of DRMs linked to these projects and their budgetary repercussions.

6. Any recent policy reviews, guidance documents, or internal communications relating to the management of road infrastructure projects under conditions of financial constraint, particularly referencing contractor liabilities or performance penalties.

7. Summary financial records outlining the amounts reclaimed or paid under DRM clauses, broken down by project and fiscal year, for the specified time period.

If any element of this request would exceed the cost limit for FOI compliance, please prioritise items 1, 3, and 7 and advise on how to refine the remainder of my request to bring it within the limit.

Response

1. All internal reports, briefing notes, or presentations produced at director, executive, or board level discussing how budget cuts in 2023/2024 have affected road maintenance and upgrade projects (including any prioritisation or postponement decisions).

Transport Scotland does not hold any internal reports, briefing notes or presentations that meet the description provided in your request.
This is a formal notice under section 17(1) of FOISA that the Scottish Government does not have the information you have requested.

2. A list of all live and completed road infrastructure maintenance or upgrade projects impacted by these budgetary changes, including project names, locations, budget alterations, contractors, and revised timelines, preferably in dataset or spreadsheet form.

New Construction/ Upgrade Projects
No live or completed contracts were impacted by the 2023/24 budget settlement.

Trunk Road Maintenance
Transport Scotland applies asset management best practice to manage our trunk roads sustainably and cost effectively, ensuring safety, reliability, and value for users. Through the strategic planning of maintenance, investment, and renewal across the full asset lifecycle, we are able to make informed decisions based on robust evidence.

As with many large infrastructure networks, the level of structural maintenance we would ideally wish to undertake in any given year can exceed the resources available. For this reason, investment is carefully prioritised and directed to the locations with the most clearly demonstrated needs, in a way that aligns with our maintenance policies and objectives.

Each scheme in the one-year structural maintenance programme is assessed in order to determine which schemes should remain within the current year and which can be deferred to future years. This process results in two rolling programmes: a one-year implementation programme, supported by a two year future planning programme. These are both updated and reprioritised annually taking cognisance of the budget available at that time. Further detail is provided in Section 4.6 of the Scottish Trunk Road Network Road Asset Management Plan 2026 (RAMP), available here: https://www.transport.gov.scot/media/p0mn1qyp/scottish-trunk-road-network-road-asset-management plan-2026.pdf

The structural maintenance schemes that were re-prioritised in the 2023/24 financial year are listed in the following table:

Scheme Ref/Name	Location	Contractor	Completion Date	Initial Estimated Cost	Final Cost	Additional Comments
22-NW-0103-53 - A9 South of the Boundary	East of East Helmsdale	BEAR Scotland	Work done in 2024/25	£125,851	£142,244	-
23-NE-0102-26 - SM - A92 Cowdenbeath to Lochgelly Northbound	East of Cowdenbeath	Amey	Work done in 2024/25	£577,298	£751,596	Depth of treatment increased during design phase increasing cost.
23-NW-0103-150 A9 North of Drumochter Phase 2	North of Drumochter	BEAR Scotland	Work done in 2024/25	£333,930	£323,173	-
23-NW-0103-165 - A87 North of Broadford	North of Broadford	BEAR Scotland	Work done in 2024/25	£196,529	£154,216	-
23-NW-0103-75 - A83 North of Artilligan	North of Artilligan	BEAR Scotland	Work done in 2024/25	£351,531	£271,451	-
23-SE-0102-45 - A1 Bowshiel NB	South of Cockburnspath	BEAR Scotland	Work done in 2024/25	£314,473	£386,831	Depth of treatment increased during design phase increasing cost.
23-SE-0102-56 - M80 Stirling Council Boundary NB	North of Rosebank	BEAR Scotland	Work done in 2024/25	£221,910	£240,769	-
23-SE-0103-7 - M9 After Junction 7 SB	North of Skinflats, Falkirk	BEAR Scotland	Work done in 2024/25	£151,898	£160,923	-
23-SW-0102-9 - M77 Corkerhill FB to 1 NB	Corkerhill, Glasgow	Amey	Work done in 2024/25	£302,534	£301,651	-
22-NW-0103-92 - A835 Garve to A832 Junction (Railway Section)	Garve to A832 Junction	BEAR Scotland	Work done in 2025/26	£200,627	£341,697	Length of scheme extended to incorporate adjacent stretch of road increased costs.
22-SE-0102-24 - Straiton to Lothianburn WB	Between Straiton and Lothianburn, Edinburgh	BEAR Scotland	Work done in 2025/26	£912,469	£894,831	-
23-NE-0102-24 - A92 Dock Street EB	Dock Street between Tay Bridge & Broughty Ferry Road, Dundee	Amey	Work done in 2025/26	£408,864	£554,111	Presence of asphalt reinforcement identified during investigation phase required re design of maintenance solution.
22-NW-0104-9 - A82 North of Corran Ferry Junction (CS228_2021)	North of Inchree	BEAR Scotland	Work programmed 2026/27	£191,713	£198,335 (Estimated)	-
23-NW-0103-138– A828 Ardno House Inlay Surfacing	West of South Ballachulish	BEAR Scotland	Work programmed 2026/27	£148,567	£148,114 (Estimated)	-

3. Full copies of contracts, contract amendments, or addenda relating to Delay Repayment Mechanisms (DRMs) agreed with contractors for the above projects during the specified period, including any relevant procurement documents, tender evaluation summaries, and contract award notices.

Transport Scotland does not hold any contracts that include Delay Repayment Mechanisms (DRMs). As such, we do not hold any contract documents, amendments, addenda, procurement materials, tender evaluation summaries, or contract award notices relating to DRMs for the projects referenced in your request.

This is a formal notice under section 17(1) of FOISA that the Scottish Government does not have the information you have requested.

4. Minutes and action notes of all meetings (including steering groups, executive meetings, and project boards) where DRMs or budget-induced project delays were discussed, including meetings with external contractors and partner organisations (such as local councils or Network Rail) referencing DRM clauses or funding reallocations.

Transport Scotland does not use Delay Repayment Mechanisms (DRMs) in its contracts. As such, no meetings, steering groups, executive discussions, project boards, or meetings with external contractors or partner organisations have discussed DRMs or DRM‑related clauses. Transport Scotland therefore holds no minutes or action notes referencing DRMs.

In relation to “budget‑induced project delays,” Transport Scotland does not hold any minutes or action notes that reference project delays arising from DRM‑related issues, as DRMs are not used.

This is a formal notice under section 17(1) of FOISA that the Scottish Government does not have the information you have requested.

5. Copies of all correspondence (including but not limited to emails, letters, and memos) between Transport Scotland, contractors, and the Scottish Government related to the application, negotiation, or enforcement of DRMs linked to these projects and their budgetary repercussions.

Transport Scotland does not use Delay Repayment Mechanisms (DRMs) in any of its contracts. As a result, there has been no correspondence - internal or external - relating to the application, negotiation, or enforcement of DRMs, nor any correspondence discussing budgetary implications arising from the use of DRMs.

This is a formal notice under section 17(1) of FOISA that the Scottish Government does not have the information you have requested.

6. Any recent policy reviews, guidance documents, or internal communications relating to the management of road infrastructure projects under conditions of financial constraint, particularly referencing contractor liabilities or performance penalties.

Transport Scotland has not produced any recent policy reviews, guidance documents, or internal communications specifically concerning the management of road infrastructure projects under conditions of financial constraint that reference contractor liabilities or performance penalties in the context described in your request.

While Transport Scotland routinely manages programmes within approved budgets, no documents or communications exist that focus on financial constraint in relation to contractor liability or performance‑related penalties in the manner set out in your request.

This is a formal notice under section 17(1) of FOISA that the Scottish Government does not have the information you have requested.

7. Summary financial records outlining the amounts reclaimed or paid under DRM clauses, broken down by project and fiscal year, for the specified time period.

Transport Scotland does not use Delay Repayment Mechanisms (DRMs) in its contracts. As a result, no financial transactions - either reclaimed or paid - have occurred under DRM clauses for any project in any year.

This is a formal notice under section 17(1) of FOISA that the Scottish Government does not have the information you have requested.

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