The Poverty and Inequality Commission: form, remit and appointments

Resources

The Commission will have significant resources at its disposal. It will be supported by a dedicated secretariat team of officials, consisting of:

• A lead policy official to act as a bridge between the chair and Ministers
• A personal assistant, to manage the diary and organise practical aspects of the Commission.
• A secretariat manager, to provide policy support as required.
• A lead analyst to support the Chair with provision of analytical support as needed.
• Other analytical support - social research, economics and statistics - will provided as required, with the ability to commission external work where the Commission feels it appropriate.
• Communications support, as required.

The Scottish Government will bear the core costs of the Secretariat in order to ensure that the Commission operates efficiently and provides value for money. Other core costs covered by the Scottish Government will include venue hire, training costs, an online presence including webpages and social media activity, and external commissioning of research and analysis, as Commissioners require. This significant source of support for the Commission is important particularly in its initial set up period and, by providing this from within Scottish Government, we can ensure that the Commission is established with immediacy and can start its important work to advise Ministers on the first Delivery Plan.

In addition, the Commission will also have its own dedicated budget for commissioner salaries, travel, and engagement activity. To cover initial set up costs for an eight month period in 2017-18, the Commission has been allocated a budget of £100,000. A budget for subsequent years will be reviewed at the end of these eight months and discussed with the Chair to make sure the Commission has the resources it needs.