Asked by: Deidre Brock (Scottish National Party - Edinburgh North and Leith)
Question to the Scotland Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, how much his Department has spent on communications staff in the (a) 2022-23 financial year and (b) 2023-24 financial year as of 29 January 2024.
Answered by Alister Jack - Secretary of State for Scotland
Expenditure on communications staffing costs, including employer’s pensions and national insurance contributions, but excluding any VAT where applicable, was:
Year | Amount (£) |
23-24 (to end Dec 23) | 1,081,263 |
22-23 | 1,166,270 |
Asked by: Deidre Brock (Scottish National Party - Edinburgh North and Leith)
Question to the Scotland Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, how much his Department has spent on special advisers in the (a) 2022-23 financial year and (b) 2023-24 financial year as of 29 January 2024.
Answered by Alister Jack - Secretary of State for Scotland
The information requested can be found in the Scotland Office and Office for the Advocate General annual report and accounts for financial year 2022-23. This can be accessed using the following link Scotland Office Annual Report 2022-23. The figures for the current financial year 2023-24 will be published in the department’s next annual report and accounts for financial year 2023-24 and laid in parliament by the set deadlines later this calendar year.
In addition to any salary costs, the department has incurred the following travel and subsistence costs in relation to Special Advisors during financial year 2022-23.
Financial Year | Travel & Subsistence (£) |
2022-23 | 61,857 |
Asked by: Sarah Olney (Liberal Democrat - Richmond Park)
Question to the Scotland Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, how many ministerial red boxes belonging to his Department have been reported (a) lost and (b) stolen in each of the last three years.
Answered by Alister Jack - Secretary of State for Scotland
The Scotland Office has not had any ministerial red boxes reported lost or stolen in the last three years. The departmental security unit records and investigates each reported loss from the Department. If appropriate, the police are invited to undertake further inquiries.Asked by: Chris Stephens (Scottish National Party - Glasgow South West)
Question to the Scotland Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, what recent discussions he has had with the Scottish Government on infected blood compensation payments.
Answered by John Lamont - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Scotland Office)
The Government is committed to working with the Devolved Governments, where appropriate, to explore what options are available to develop an effective response to the inquiry's recommendations that delivers across the UK.
Asked by: Matthew Offord (Conservative - Hendon)
Question to the Scotland Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, what targets his Department has set to help achieve the Government's commitments on net zero.
Answered by Alister Jack - Secretary of State for Scotland
The Government set out how we would meet our commitments in the Net Zero Strategy in 2021, which included a detailed breakdown of actions required across all sectors of the economy. This was updated in 2023 through the publication of 'Powering Up Britain'.
The UK has halved its emissions, ahead of every other major economy, and we have grown our economy by over 70% since 1990. The UK over-achieved against the first and second carbon budgets, and the latest projections show that we are on track to meet the third.
We have one of the most ambitious decarbonisation targets in the world, and we have set more stretching targets for 2030 than most countries. We plan to cut emissions by 68% by 2030, which is more than the EU, Japan or the United States.
Asked by: Alan Brown (Scottish National Party - Kilmarnock and Loudoun)
Question to the Scotland Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, how much his Department has spent on communications in each year since 1997.
Answered by Alister Jack - Secretary of State for Scotland
The Scotland Office is resourced to deliver the communications functions expected and required of a government department in its own right and on behalf of the UK Government in Scotland with a wide range of functions. These include external affairs, marketing, digital and social media, media, internal and strategic communication.
The figures for 2022-23 reflect changes made to bring the Office into line with wider UKG departmental reporting practice which saw visits and engagement staff included in the communications division.
The Office does not hold directly comparable figures for each year since the Office was established in 1999. The Office’s Annual Reports are available online.
Expenditure on staffing costs, including employer’s pensions and national insurance contributions, but excluding any VAT where applicable, to deliver these functions for the last full financial year and available years was:
Year | Staff costs (£) |
2022-23 | 1,166,270 |
2021-22 | 944,645 |
2020-21 | 906,177 |
2019-20 | 870,159 |
2018-19 | 819, 640 |
2017-18 | 710,337 |
2016-17 | 757,868 |
2015-16 | 426,223 |
2014-15 | 348,895 |
2013-14 | 241,636 |
2012-13 | 180,954 |
2011-12 | 169,373 |
2010-11 | 108, 439 |
2009-10 | 144,084 |
2008-09 | 115,356 |
2007-08 | 113,236 |
Asked by: David Duguid (Conservative - Banff and Buchan)
Question to the Scotland Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, what recent discussions he has had with Cabinet colleagues on support for the seafood sector in Scotland.
Answered by John Lamont - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Scotland Office)
This Government is committed to supporting our seafood sector, which as my hon Friend knows first hand, is at the heart of many rural communities in Scotland.
We have recently concluded successful quota negotiations for 2024; delivered a two-year extension to visa exemptions for Salmon well-boat crew; consulted on changes to medical certification for those already working at sea; and are supporting the industry following changes to immigration policy.
Asked by: Wendy Chamberlain (Liberal Democrat - North East Fife)
Question to the Scotland Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, whether he has had recent discussions with the Secretary of State for the Home Department on bringing Afghan female medical students to Scotland.
Answered by John Lamont - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Scotland Office)
My Department is working with the Home Office, the FCDO, the Scottish Government and Scottish Universities to support the efforts of the Norgrove Foundation.
This is a complex issue and discussions remain ongoing to determine what pathway might be available to the students.
Asked by: Deidre Brock (Scottish National Party - Edinburgh North and Leith)
Question to the Scotland Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, what recent assessment he has made of the adequacy of the financial settlement for Scotland.
Answered by John Lamont - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Scotland Office)
Despite what we hear from the SNP, the Scottish Government is well-funded.
As a consequence of the decisions made by this UK Government, the Block Grant is now at record levels, with an additional £2.4 billion across three fiscal events.
Scotland receives around 25% more per person than equivalent UK Government spending in other parts of the United Kingdom.
That translates into around £8.5 billion more per year on average.
Asked by: Amy Callaghan (Scottish National Party - East Dunbartonshire)
Question to the Scotland Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, what recent assessment he has made of the adequacy of the financial settlement for Scotland.
Answered by John Lamont - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Scotland Office)
Despite what we hear from the SNP, the Scottish Government is well-funded.
As a consequence of the decisions made by this UK Government, the Block Grant is now at record levels, with an additional £2.4 billion across three fiscal events.
Scotland receives around 25% more per person than equivalent UK Government spending in other parts of the United Kingdom.
That translates into around £8.5 billion more per year on average.