Hierarchical spreadsheet of all the personnel in the Air Quality Team of Transport Scotland up to the Chief Executive: FOI release

Information requested

You asked for a hierarchical spreadsheet of all the personnel in the Air Quality Team of Transport Scotland up to the Chief Executive. In your request, you also ask several operational questions surrounding the Low Emission Zone vehicle checker and Transport Scotland's correspondence standards.

Response

• Personnel in the Air Quality Team of Transport Scotland up to the Chief Executive

I enclose a copy of some of the information you requested in a pdf format in annexes 1 and 2. The first annex shows the hierarchy of the Roads directorate at Transport Scotland and where the Air Quality Team sits within it (Environment). The second annex shows the hierarchy of the Environment department, which contains the Air Quality Team.

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. An exemption under section 38(1)(b) of FOISA (personal information) applies to some of the information requested because it is personal data, i.e. names, contact details etc, as disclosing it would contravene the data protection principles in Article 5(1) of the General Data Protection Regulation and in section 34(1) of the Data Protection Act 2018.

Please note that the redacted text (in black) within this correspondence indicates the removal of identifiable personal data. This exemption is not subject to the ‘public interest test’, so we are not required to consider if the public interest in disclosing the information outweighs the public interest in applying the exemption.

• Where does your site source its information? What information is used to make a judgement - exhaust emissions data (section V on a V5C) or the date of first registration or what?

Vehicle information from the LEZ Vehicle Checker, including compliance status, is provided by the DVLA. This is a legal requirement within the Transport (Scotland) Act 2019 whereby a record certifying a vehicles LEZ compliance status must be obtained from the Secretary of State. If you wish to contact DVLA for further information on this matter, you can either write to them via the following address: Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency, Longview Road, Swansea SA6 7JL or contact them online via: Contact DVLA – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk).

• What steps will be taken completely to correct it, and how soon?

The Scottish LEZ vehicle checker is directly linked to DVLA records. The only way for discrepancies in vehicle checker results to be rectified is for a query to be raised directly with the DVLA as was done in your vehicle’s case. Transport Scotland has a continued dialogue with DVLA with regards to the information provided for the Vehicle Checker.

• Explain how Swansea DVLA have altered “updated” the information on my car such that it can now pass when checked on the low emission zone checker website in Scotland?
• Please explain how the use of a personalised registration number plate, which has been on the car for more than two years, made a difference (an error) to the checking system on your site?
• Please explain exactly why your site is incorrect.
• For how many other vehicles is it incorrect?

The FOISA gives a right to recorded information held by a Scottish public authority and does not provide the right to comments or opinions, unless already held in a recorded format. Therefore, we can confirm that we do not hold any information within the scope of your request. This is a formal notice under Section 17 of FOISA that the information you have requested is not held by Scottish Government. If you wish to contact DVLA for further information on this matter. You can either write to them via the following address: Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency, Longview Road, Swansea SA6 7JL or contact them online via: Contact DVLA – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk).

• If I had driven in the Glasgow ULEZ when it was operational and before the "update" at DVLA, would I have been subject to a charge?

FOISA gives a right to recorded information held by a Scottish public authority and does not provide the right to comments or opinions, unless already held in a recorded format. Therefore, we can confirm that we do not hold any information within the scope of your request. This is a formal notice under Section 17 of FOISA that the information you have requested is not held by Scottish Government.

LEZs are enforced and administered by local authorities, questions relating to the issuing of Penalty Charge Notices and enforcement processes should be directed to the LEZ team at Glasgow City Council, you may do so directly via: LEZ@glasgow.gov.uk.

• Please tell me your service standards in respect of answering questions from the public?

With regards to your question surrounding service standards, as per Cabinet Office guidelines, the Scottish Government aims to answer ministerial correspondence, including official replies, within 20 working days from the date of receipt.

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.

Annexes - 202300367757

File type

2 page PDF

File size

269.3 kB