Salaries and number of ministers, special advisors and civil servants in 2003, 2013 and 2023: FOI release

Information requested

For each of the years 2003, 2013 and 2023 can you provide please the following information:

1. The total number of Ministers in post at The Scottish Government/The Scottish Executive.

2. The total salaries for these Ministers for the year in question.

3. The total number of civil servants dedicated to the Private Offices of these Ministers.

4. The total salary costs of these staff for the year in question.

5. The total number of political special advisers engaged by the Scottish Government/The Scottish Executive.

6. The total cost of salaries for these special advisers for the year in question.

Response

Question 1

The information you have requested is available at:

2003 - [ARCHIVED CONTENT] (nrscotland.gov.uk)
2013 - [ARCHIVED CONTENT] (nrscotland.gov.uk)
2023 - Cumulative list of Ministers and Law Officers (Session 6) (parliament.scot)

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.

Question 2
The Scottish Government does not have the information you have asked for because Ministerial and MSP salaries are set and paid by the Scottish Parliament and the Scottish Government has no role in this. 

This is a formal notice under section 17(1) of FOISA that the Scottish Government does not have the information you have requested. You may wish to contact the Scottish Parliament at foi.officer@parliament.scot.

Question 3 & 4
2003 – As at 31st December 2003 there were 67 civil servants working in Ministers Private Office. The total salary cost was £1,327,229.

2013 – As at 31st December 2013 there were 79 civil servants working in Ministers Private Office. The total salary cost was £2,244,036.

2023- As of 31st December 2023 there were 95 civil servants working in Ministers Private Office. The total salary cost was £3,536,368.

Question 5 & 6
Some of the information you have requested is available on the Parliament’s website:
2003 - S2W-07214
2013 - S4W-25214

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. 

In relation to 2023 an exemption under section 27(1) of FOISA applies to the information requested. This exemption applies because we intend to publish that information within 12 weeks of the date of your request. We consider that it is reasonable to withhold the information until that date, rather than release this routinely published information before the planned publication date. This exemption is subject to the ‘public interest test’. Therefore, taking account of all the circumstances of this case, we have considered if the public interest in disclosing the information outweighs the public interest in applying the exemption. We have found that, on balance, the public interest lies in favour of upholding the exemption. We recognise that there is some public interest in release and this will be met by our planned publication. In the meantime, there is a greater public interest in taking the time necessary to ensure the information has been properly collated and checked before it is published as planned. Also, we see no public interest in disrupting our programme of work to release the information ahead of the intended publication date.

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.