Scottish Government spend in the last financial year on external contract staff: FOI release

Information requested

1. I would like to know how much money the Scottish Government spent in the last financial year on external contract staff, eg (Sopra) Steria, and how this compares as a percentage of the staff budget for permanent employees. This is only about Scottish Government, not councils, but should include agencies like Social Security which provide core services. 
2. I would also like to know how the cost for eg Sopra Steria is broken down:- how many total hours/days work and at which equivalent staff grade, and ideally which role titles.
3. Which services are entirely outsourced and to which company, (eg cleaning, catering).

Response

I enclose a copy of some of the information that you requested.

Question 1 Response:

• The pay bill for Scottish Government (SG) Main pay bargaining unit (SG Core plus agencies and Non Ministerial Departments) in financial year 2021-22 was £673,355,541.
• The amount of money spent on external contract staff in the 21-22 financial year was £99,702,675 from the Temporary and Interim Staff Frameworks.
• The percentage spend on contracted staff in comparison to permanent employees of Scottish Government, plus agencies and Non Ministerial Departments is 14.81%.

In relation to your second question while our aim is to provide information whenever possible, in this instance the Scottish Government does not have the information you have requested. The Scottish Government does not have the information requested because they have limited data and only for the agencies that supply temporary staff under the Temporary and Staff Interim framework contract. This does not include most IT contracts (including Sopra Steria) as they are not resource based contracts. For the framework agencies we hold only the equivalent grade but not the days or hours worked or role title. This is a formal notice under section 17(1) of FOISA that the Scottish Government does not have the information you have requested.

In relation to question 3 most of the information you have requested is available from Contracts Search - Public Contracts Scotland. I have also attached a copy of our internal contracts register. 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.

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.

Contract Register

File type

xlsb file

File size

170.3 kB