Public sector employment in Scotland: statistics for second quarter 2016

5. Civil Service Employment in Scotland; Headcount (see Tables 6 and 7)

This section provides a summary of the civil service in Scotland.

The devolved civil service is made up of:

• Scottish Government Core Departments
• Scottish Government Agencies
• Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service
• Non-Ministerial Departments

The reserved civil service is made up of:

• UK Government Departments
• Scotland Office

In Q2 2016, there were 42,500 people employed as civil servants in Scotland. This is made up of 16,800 (39.6%) people working in the devolved civil service and 25,700 (60.4%) working in UK government departments. The total number of civil servants has decreased by 1,530 (-3.5%) over the year from 44,100 in Q2 2015 to 42,500 in Q2 2016.

Devolved Civil Service

The devolved civil service has decreased by 1,020 (-5.7%) since Q2 2015.

Chart 6 shows a breakdown of the devolved civil service in Scotland as at Q2 2016 ^[4] .

Chart 6: Breakdown of Devolved Civil Service Employment, Scotland, Headcount, Q2 2016

Scottish Government Core

In Q2 2016, there were 5,400 people employed in Scottish Government ( SG) core directorates, representing 32.1% of the devolved civil service in Scotland. Over the year to Q2 2016, employment in SG core directorates increased by 200 (+3.8%).

Scottish Government Agencies

There were 6,300 people employed in Scottish Government agencies in Q2 2016. Employment in SG agencies has decreased by 1,280 (-16.9%) over the year. This was mainly due to Historic Scotland no longer being part of the civil service and merging with the Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Scotland to become Historic Environment Scotland, a non-departmental public body.

Non Ministerial Departments

Non Ministerial Departments ( NMD) include National Records of Scotland, Registers of Scotland, Office of the Scottish Charity Regulator, Scottish Courts and Tribunals Service, Scottish Housing Regulator (from April 2012), Revenue Scotland (from January 2015) and Food Standards Scotland (from April 2015). In Q2 2016, there were 3,400 people employed in these NMDs. This remained fairly constant over the year (increased by 40 (+1.2%)).

Crown Office & Procurator Fiscal

In Q2 2016, there were 1,700 people employed in the Crown Office & Procurator Fiscal. Over the year to Q2 2016, employment in the Crown Office & Procurator Fiscal remained fairly constant (increased by 30 (+1.5%)).

Reserved Civil Service

Employment in the reserved civil service has decreased by 510 (-2.0%), from 26,200 in Q2 2015 to 25,700 in Q2 2016.

Chart 7 identifies the breakdown of headcount employment in UK government departments as at Q2 2016.

Chart 7: Breakdown of Headcount Employment in the UK Government Departments as at Q2 2016

Department for Work and Pensions

In Q2 2016, there were 9,600 people employed in the Department for Work and Pensions ( DWP). Over the year from Q2 2015, employment in DWP has decreased by 430 (-4.3%).

HM Revenue and Customs

There were 9,000 people employed in HM Revenue and Customs in Q2 2016, an decrease of 240 (-2.6%) since Q2 2015.

Ministry of Defence

There were 4,000 people employed in the Ministry of Defence in Q2 2016. This has increased by 100 (+2.6%) since Q2 2015.

Other Civil Service ^[5]

The number of people employed in Other Civil Service in Q2 2016 was 2,400, unchanged over the year.

Department for International Development

The number of people employed in the Department for International Development in Q2 2016 was 700, an increase of 50 (+7.8%) over the year.

Scotland Office

In Q2 2016, there were 80 people employed in the Scotland Office.