Scottish Government - communications and public relations staff numbers and costs: FOI release

Information requested

1. In each year since 2003 (inclusive): How many staff have been employed by the Scottish Executive/Scottish Government in communications and public relations roles?
2. What has been the cost of employing these staff in each of those years?

Response

1. Part of this information is available at https://www.gov.scot/publications/foi-17-01650/. As stated in this response, the Communications Division has only existed in its current form since 2013-14. As well as frontline communication staff/press officers it includes staff responsible for marketing campaigns, digital platforms, internal engagement, media monitoring and administration/business management. Information for 2017-2018 and 2018-19 is listed in the tables below.

The numbers of full-time equivalent (FTE) staff in the Communications Division varies throughout the financial year and the figures represent staff numbers on just one day of each year (March 31). This means that these figures are a 'snapshot': they do not represent either a total number or average number of staff employed in the year.

Year	FTE
2017-18	115.1
2018-19	126.9

The number of FTE frontline communications staff/press officers is set out in the table below.
Numbers of FTE staff vary throughout the financial year and the figures listed below represent staff numbers on just one day of each year (March 31). This means that these figures are a 'snapshot': they do not represent either a total number or average number of staff employed in the year.

Year	FTE
2017-18	44.7
2018-19	49.16

2. The cost of frontline communications staff/press officers in each year since 2006 to the most recent financial year is available at /publications/cost-of-frontline-communications-staff/

2018-19 figures will be published on the Scottish Government website within 12 weeks of the end of the financial year.

While our aim is to provide information whenever possible, an exemption under section 17 of FOISA, has been applied as 2003-2006 predates our current HR and payroll systems and we do not hold the information for that period.

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.