Ministerial salary information: FOI release

Information requested

I am responding to the following three of the your 17 questions:

9. For year 2023 - provide the salary breakdown of each Scottish Ministers and any increases that were allocated and to whom and the amount

10. For year 2024 - provide the salary breakdown of Scottish Ministers and any increases that were allocated and to whom and the amount

17. For year 2025 - provide the salary breakdown of Scottish Ministers and any increases that are planned, to whom and the amount

Response

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. Salaries are agreed by the whole Parliament in line with proposals put forward by the Scottish Parliament Corporate Body. 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 redirect your request to the Scottish Parliament, which might be able to help.

You might be interested to note, however, that, since 1 April 2009, Scottish Ministers have declined to accept their full salary entitlement, recognising the wider economic and fiscal pressures as well as the restraints placed on public sector pay. Ministers' take-home pay in 2024-25 remains frozen at 2008‑09 levels and is currently 30.4 per cent below where it would have been in the absence of the pay freeze. Between the start of the pay freeze on 1 April 2009 and 31 March 2024, Scottish Ministers made over £1.94 million available for public spending from their own pay packets. The pay freeze will remain in place in 2025-26 and by 31 March 2026, it is estimated that the salary sacrifice made by Ministers for public spending will rise to £2.64 million.

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.