Chamber and committees

Full-Time Equivalent Permanent Staff in Scottish Executive Core Departments at 1 October 2004

Notes: *Includes Centrally Managed Staff (e.g. salaried staff who are on long term sickness leave, fast stream generalist staff on probation etc).

Directly Allocated Administration Costs for 2004-05

These costs are primarily staffing and associated costs, such as travel and subsistence and training.

Note: 1. includes accommodation, facilities and other centrally managed costs for all departments.

The main changes to note are HM Inspectorate of Education became an agency in 2001, resulting in 150 staff transferring from the core Education Department. The Food Standards Agency was created in 2001 and assumed responsibility in Scotland from the core Environment and Rural Affairs Department (40 staff). Communities Scotland became an agency in 2001 (380 staff) and in 2002 a new agency, Accountant in Bankruptcy (80 staff) was created. In 2003 approx 180 staff in Transport Group moved from the Development Department to become part of the Enterprise, Transport and Lifelong Learning Department.

Number of Full-Time-Equivalent Staff in the Scottish Executive in (a) Each Department and (b) each of its Agencies and Associated Departments in Each Year Since 1999 (Backdated to Reflect Current Structure)

Table (a)

Notes: *Previously Corporate Services including Ministerial Group and Centrally Managed Staff

Table (b)

Between 1 April 2001 and 31 March 2002 the total cost including tax of air travel in Great Britain undertaken by Scottish Executive officials was £1,249,970. In the same period for 2002-03 and 2003-04, costs were £1,339,942 and £1,351,840 respectively. Information about the cost of air travel by officials prior to April 2001 is not held in the format requested. The information provided covers the core Scottish Executive departments but excludes the Crown Office, associated departments and agencies.

The Scottish Executive is a member of the Government Travel Group ensuring maximum discounts are achieved on all major and regional routes.

Over the period in question some adjustments were made to the grade mix in Press Office staffing, to meet operational requirements. This resulted in some grade numbers (and salary costs) increasing and others decreasing. There was, however, very little change in the overall staffing numbers. The increase in total salary spend is partly as a result of Scottish  Executive corporate pay increases. It is, however, also worth commenting on the possible differencein the total spend between 2003-04 and 2004-05. The level of spend to date suggests that it will be higher this year. This is due to the fact that a number of Press Office posts were vacant in 2003-04, which led to savings in salary costs in the course of that year. Most of these posts have now been filled and this will result in an increase in the level of salary spend expected this year.

Percentage of Female Officers within Each Police Force by Rank as at 31 March 2004

Percentage of Ethnic Minority Officers within each Police Force by Rank as at 31 March 2004

Notes:

Source for both tables: Annual Statistical Returns from forces to Her Majesty’s Inspector of Constabulary.

There were no ethnic minority officers above the rank of Chief Inspector.

The majority of dentists in Scotland are independent contractors and as suchcan choose whether or not they will offer NHS services and the extent and rangeof that service.

Discharges from onshore installations are the responsibility of the Scottish  Environment Protection Agency, and there have been significant improvements in this area in recent years.

The Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002 provides that material may be withheld from publication for a number of reasons. Most exemptions are subject to a public interest test. In deciding the extent of publication of any future contract for private prisons, the SPS will need to consider (at that time) whether the harm likely to arise from the publication of certain information outweighs the public interest in releasing the information. The code of practice provides best practice guidance to public authorities to help them comply with their full range of duties under the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002.