EIR/202600515047 · FOI/EIR · not held
Cost and details of signage commissioned, funded and translated into Gaelic: FOI release
Information requested
The total amount of money spent by the Scottish Government, its agencies, and any associated public bodies over the past ten financial years on translating public signage into Gaelic. For clarity, this request includes (but is not limited to): • Road signs • Public building signage • Transport related signage
Any other official signage commissioned or funded by the Scottish Government or its agencies. If possible, please provide the information broken down by: • Financial year • Department or agency • Category of signage (e.g., road signs, building signs, transport signage)
Response
While our aim is to provide information whenever possible, in this instance the Scottish Government does not have the information you have requested. The reasons why we don't have th information are explained below.
The Scottish Government does not hold information on funds spent to replace public signage to include Gaelic translations. Signage (including road, building and transport-related signage) commissioned by the Scottish Government and its agencies in Gaelic is routinely produced bilingually in Gaelic and English at the point of its creation. Where Scottish Government funding is provided to other public bodies outside of the Scottish Government and its core agencies, information on expenditure relating to Gaelic translations of signs is a matter for those funded bodies. If you wish to enquire about specific signage produced by a public sector organisation, such as a local authority or non-departmental public body (such as those listed here: https://www.gov.scot/publications/national-public-bodiesdirectory/pages/executive-non-departmental-public-bodies/) you may wish to contact those organisations directly.
With regard road signage, local road signage is the responsibility of local authorities. Therefore, information on their associated costs is not held by the Scottish Government. Transport Scotland, which comes under the remit of the Scottish Government, is responsible for signage on trunk roads. Transport Scotland does not have the information you have asked for. While its records includes costs for traffic signs the rates do not differentiate by sign type or language. Therefore Transport Scotland does not hold any information to enable the costs associated with Gaelic road signs to be distinguished between a single language and bi-lingual sign from the overall totals.
In relation to the signage in Gaelic language present at railway stations in Scotland, it may be helpful to explain that the introduction of Gaelic signage at ScotRail stations was delivered as part of the overall ScotRail re-branding programme and you can find more information related to this in a previously published response to a similar request: Bi-lingual road and rail signs: EIR release - gov.scot
In addition, whilst some railway stations were opened or refurbished since the abovementioned publication and do have signage with a translation to Gaelic language, Transport Scotland does not hold the information which would provide the costs incurred specifically in order to allow for this signage to be put in place. ScotRail or Network Rail may hold some of the information related to the costs of signage at railway stations. You may wish to contact these organisations for information regarding specific stations.
With regards public building signage, Scottish Government buildings and those of its agencies are not open to the public, and therefore do not fall within the scope of your request. The Scottish Government does not hold information on costs related to translating signage from English to Gaelic on other public buildings.
This is a formal notice under section 17(1) of FOISA that the Scottish Government does not have the information you have requested.
Some of the information you have requested is available from https://www.gov.scot/publications/foi-202400443419/ and https://www.gov.scot/publications/foi-202500485567/. Under section 25(1) of FOISA, we do not have to give you information which is already reasonably accessible to you. If, however, you do not have internet access to obtain this information from the website(s) listed, then please contact me again and I will send you a paper copy.
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.
Contact Please quote the FOI reference Central Correspondence Unit Email: contactus@gov.scot Phone: 0300 244 4000 The Scottish Government St Andrew's House Regent Road Edinburgh EH1 3DG
Detected exemption language
This is a formal notice under section 17(1) of FOISA that the Scottish Government does not have the information you have requested. Under section 25(1) of FOISA, we do not have to give you information which is already reasonably accessible to you.
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