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Written Question
Scotland Office: Publicity
Monday 5th February 2024

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 spent on public information campaigns promoting Government policies in the (a) 2021-22 and (b) 2022-23 financial years; and how much it has spent on such campaigns in the 2023-24 financial year as of 29 January 2024.

Answered by Alister Jack - Secretary of State for Scotland

The Office has spent the following on social media platforms to support UK Government policies and information campaigns in Scotland:

Year

Amount (£)

23-24 (to date)

17,725

22-23

49,893

21-22

39,818


Written Question
Scotland Office: Information Officers
Monday 5th February 2024

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


Written Question
Scotland Office: Special Advisers
Thursday 1st February 2024

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


Written Question
Public Finance: Scotland
Wednesday 24th January 2024

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.


Written Question
Culture and Trade Promotion: Scotland
Wednesday 28th June 2023

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 discussions he has had with (a) Cabinet colleagues and (b) the Scottish Government on promoting Scottish trade and culture overseas.

Answered by Alister Jack - Secretary of State for Scotland

The UK Government is committed to the promotion of Scottish trade and culture overseas, and our network of 280 diplomatic missions serves the whole of the UK with opportunities.

I recently appeared before the Scottish Affairs Committee, along with Ministerial colleagues, to outline the UK’s work in this space in detail. This includes the work of the new Trade Minister in DBT, Lord Offord of Garvel, who will continue to promote Scotland and Scottish business and cultural interests overseas.


Written Question
Scotland Office: Special Advisers
Thursday 1st December 2022

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 many Special Advisers are employed by his Department.

Answered by Alister Jack - Secretary of State for Scotland

The Scotland Office has four Special Advisers.

This information is publicly available and published in the Scotland Office Annual Report and Accounts: Scotland Office Annual Report and Accounts 2021/22.


Written Question
Scotland Office: Special Advisers
Thursday 1st December 2022

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 spent on special advisers in (a) 2020-21, (b) 2021-22 and (c) 2022-23.

Answered by Alister Jack - Secretary of State for Scotland

Information on Special Adviser numbers and costs, including pay bands, is published annually in the Annual Report on Special Advisers as per the requirements of the Constitutional Reform and Governance Act 2010. Special Adviser staff costs are paid by the Cabinet Office and the Office reimburses the Cabinet Office for these costs via a budget cover transfer.

Other than salary costs, the Scotland Office has spent the following on special advisers in financial years 2020-21 to 2022-23 (to date).

Financial Year

Travel & Subsistence (£)

2020-21

28,336

2021-22

39,766

2022-23 (April to November 2022)

33,347





Written Question
Scotland Office: Public Expenditure
Wednesday 30th November 2022

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 the expenditure of the Union Unit was in (a) 2020-21, (b) 2021-22, and (c) 2022-23.

Answered by Alister Jack - Secretary of State for Scotland

The Office of the Secretary of State for Scotland is not responsible for the funding of a Union Unit.


Written Question
Scotland Office: Information Services
Wednesday 30th November 2022

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 spent on public information campaigns promoting Government policies in (a) 2020-21, (b) 2021-22 and (c) 2022-23.

Answered by Alister Jack - Secretary of State for Scotland

Departmental spend on public information campaigns for 2020-21 was £75,681, for 2021-22 was £39,818, and for April-October 2022-23 was £16,003.


Written Question
Scotland Office: Information Officers
Wednesday 30th November 2022

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 spent on communications staff in (a) 2020-21, (b) 2021-22 and (c) 2022-23.

Answered by Alister Jack - Secretary of State for Scotland

Departmental spend on communications staff for 2020-21 was £906,177, for 2021-22 was £944,645, and for April-October 2022-23 was £612,028.