Government phones issued to Ministers: FOI release

Information requested

1. How many ministers and officials in the Scottish Government have a government issued mobile phone?
2. Please also list all Scottish Government ministers, and officials senior enough to be named, who have a government issued mobile phone.
3. Did the former First Minister, Nicola Sturgeon, or any members of her private office, have a government issued mobile phone? If they did, please disclose the date on which it was returned to the Scottish Government, or if they still retain it.

Response

I enclose a copy of all of the information you requested.

1. How many ministers and officials in the Scottish Government have a government issued mobile phone?

As of the date of your request, (Sunday 29 October 2023) there are 26 Ministers and approximately 4425 officials in the Scottish Government that have been issued mobile phones.

2. Please also list all Scottish Government ministers, and official's senior enough to be named, who have a government issued mobile phone.

The attached spreadsheet lists all Scottish Government Ministers, Special Advisers, and Official's senior enough to be named, who have a government issued mobile phone.
Note, the list does not include Officials on career break or on outward secondment.

3. Did the former First Minister, Nicola Sturgeon, or any members of her private office, have a government issued mobile phone? If they did, please disclose the date on which it was returned to the Scottish Government, or if they still retain it.

The Former First Minister Nicola Sturgeon did not have a Scottish Government issued mobile phone throughout her time in office. Civil servants have the option of being issued with a government mobile phone. Most staff working in Nicola Sturgeon’s private office would have been issued with government mobile phones for business delivery purposes and this would be used by those individuals until the phone was scheduled for replacement. At that time the phones would be securely disposed of in line with Scottish Government IT policies.

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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.

FOI 202300382811 - Information Released - data

File type

Excel document

File size

20.9 kB