Total spend of overseas allowances for staff: FOI release

Information requested

How much money the government has spent on overseas allowances for staff from 2014 to 2023 so far, with a breakdown of where and when and why it was spent? Also, the number of staff each year.

How can a staff member qualify for overseas allowance?

How many staff members claim overseas allowance every year?

Response

Year	International Office	Overseas Allowances	No of Staff who received overseas allowances during the FY*
April 2014 to March 2015	Brussels (Scotland House) Washington Beijing	£251,769	24
April 2015 to March 2016	Brussels (Scotland House) Washington Beijing	£216,563	22
April 2016 to March 2017	Brussels (Scotland House) Washington Beijing Dublin	£245,663	23
April 2017 to March 2018	Brussels (Scotland House) Washington Beijing Dublin	£265,303	24
April 2018 to March 2019	Brussels (Scotland House) Washington Beijing Berlin Ottawa Paris Dublin	£328,271	24
April 2019 to March 2020	Brussels (Scotland House) Washington Beijing Berlin Ottawa Paris Dublin	£382,950	25
April 2020 to March 2021	Brussels (Scotland House) Washington Beijing Berlin Ottawa Paris Dublin	£414,750	23
April 2021 to March 2022	Brussels (Scotland House) Washington Beijing Berlin Ottawa Paris Dublin	£407,729	29
April 2022 to March 2023	Brussels (Scotland House) Washington Beijing Berlin Ottawa Paris Dublin Copenhagen	£442,945	31

Overseas allowances are available to Scottish Government staff to assist in meeting the costs arising from moving to work overseas and to compensate for additional costs once there. Allowances are based on personal circumstances, follow the framework of overseas allowances provided by FCDO to their diplomatic staff and are included within the budget of each individual international office.

All UK based Scottish Government staff being assigned to and working within one of our overseas offices qualify for specific overseas allowances which are based on their personal circumstances. Country based staff who have been employed locally are not entitled to overseas allowances.

*It is important to note that the number of individuals in receipt of allowances in each financial year that we have provided as per your request, is not the same as the number of posts within our overseas international offices who receive these allowances. For example, during handover periods where one member of staff is leaving and being replaced, or cover for maternity leave, two individuals would be in receipt of allowances for the duration of the time they were working overseas together. The actual number of posts which receive allowances as at June 2023 is 24.

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