· FOI · not held
A breakdown of spending on taxis 2014-2017: FOI release
Information requested
A breakdown of the Scottish Government's spending on taxis for the past three financial years, including which companies were used.
Response
Civil servants travel for a range of reasons including ensuring that the people of Scotland are effectively represented and ensuring that Scotland's voice is heard on important issues. In many instances, travel is necessary to allow civil servants to attend Ministerial meetings, meetings with businesses and visits to the communities we serve.
Before arranging to travel on official business, civil servants are first required to consider if their journey is really necessary. If they conclude that they are unable to conduct their business by other means, such as video or teleconferencing, they are then required to travel in the most cost–effective and time-efficient method available.
Contracts
In answer to your question the following table shows taxi spend by the Scottish Government using contract taxis in Edinburgh and Glasgow.
The taxi companies used are Central Radio Taxis (Tollcross) Ltd in Edinburgh and Glasgow Taxis Ltd in Glasgow.
Year Total cost of journeys 2014/15 £183,366 2015/16 £144,071 2016/17 £100,812
Travel and Subsistence
Claims for taxi journeys processed through the Travel and Subsistence system for areas where the contract is not used, show costs by financial year as follows:
2014/15 £76,278 2015/16 £66,199 2016/17 £58,777
Overall spending on taxis almost halved over the last three years.
With regards to the companies used, in this instance the costs of locating, retrieving and providing the information requested would exceed the upper cost limit of £600 because the information is not recorded centrally and the travel and subsistence claims do not hold the name of the taxi company. Under section 12 of FOISA public authorities are not required to comply with a request for information if the authority estimates that the costs of complying exceeds the upper cost limit, which is currently set at £600 by regulations made under section 12.
You may, however, wish to consider reducing the scope of your request in order that the costs can be brought below £600. You may also find it helpful to look at the Scottish Information Commissioner's 'Tips for requesting information under FOI and the EIRs' on her website.
Detected exemption language
Under section 12 of FOISA public authorities are not required to comply with a request for information if the authority estimates that the costs of complying exceeds the upper cost limit, which is currently set at £600 by regulations made under section 12.
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