Question to the Scotland Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, what proportion of staff employed by his Department are apprentices.

The Office of the Secretary of State for Scotland does not employ staff directly. All staff that join - including apprentices - do so on an assignment, loan or secondment from other Government bodies. Due to the number involved, an estimate of apprentices working at the Department cannot be provided to protect the privacy and identity of those concerned.

The Office of the Secretary of State for Scotland remains committed to apprenticeships as part of a modern employment route into the Civil Service and across the wider economy.