Questions and answers

Question reference: S6W-24295

Asked by: Donald Cameron, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 04 January 2024
Current Status: Answered by Angus Robertson on 31 January 2024

To ask the Scottish Government how many (a) civil servants and (b) other staff, including those appointed by ministers, have worked in its Scottish Affairs Office in Berlin in each year since its establishment, also broken down by (i) job title and (ii) pay grade.

The Scottish Government Office in Berlin has operated with 3 members of staff since its establishment in 2018. Provided below are details of staffing numbers, job titles and salary scale:

Scottish Government Civil Servants / Salary scale

Job Title

Country Based Staff

Job Title

2 x A-C Band

Head of Scottish Government Office

Deputy Head of Scottish Government Office

1

Events and Office Manager

Please note we are unable to provide a small amount of the information you have requested relating to the specific pay grades of each member of staff. This information is personal data of a third party, and disclosing it would contravene the data protection principles in Article 5(1) of the General Data Protection Regulation and in section 34(1) of the Data Protection Act 2018.

Question reference: S6W-24305

Asked by: Donald Cameron, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 04 January 2024
Current Status: Answered by Angus Robertson on 31 January 2024

To ask the Scottish Government how many (a) civil servants and (b) other staff, including those appointed by ministers, have worked in its Scottish Affairs Office in China in each year since its establishment, also broken down by (i) job title and (ii) pay grade.

The Scottish Government Office in China has operated with 4 members of staff since its establishment in 2005. Provided below are details of salary scale and job titles:

Scottish Government Civil Servants / Salary scale

Job Title

Country Based Staff

Job Title

1 x A-C Band

Head of Scottish Government Office

3

Deputy Head of Scottish Government Office

Head of Events

Head of Engagements and Media

Please note we are unable to provide a small amount of the information you have requested relating to the specific pay grades of each member of staff. This information is personal data of a third party, and disclosing it would contravene the data protection principles in Article 5(1) of the General Data Protection Regulation and in section 34(1) of the Data Protection Act 2018.

Question reference: S6W-24312

Asked by: Donald Cameron, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 04 January 2024
Current Status: Answered by Angus Robertson on 31 January 2024

To ask the Scottish Government how many (a) civil servants and (b) other staff, including those appointed by ministers, have worked in its Scottish Affairs Office in Dublin in each year since its establishment, also broken down by (i) job title and (ii) pay grade.

The Scottish Government Office in Dublin has operated with 3 members of staff since its establishment in 2016.

Scottish Government Civil Servants / Salary scale

Job Title

Country Based Staff

Job Title

2 x A-C Band

Head of Scottish Government Office

Deputy Head of Scottish Government Office

1

Events, Culture and Business Manager

Please note we are unable to provide a small amount of the information you have requested relating to the specific pay grades of each member of staff. This information is personal data of a third party, and disclosing it would contravene the data protection principles in Article 5(1) of the General Data Protection Regulation and in section 34(1) of the Data Protection Act 2018.

Question reference: S6W-24306

Asked by: Donald Cameron, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 04 January 2024
Current Status: Answered by Angus Robertson on 31 January 2024

To ask the Scottish Government how many (a) civil servants and (b) other staff, including those appointed by ministers, have worked in its Scottish Affairs Office in the USA in each year since its establishment, also broken down by (i) job title and (ii) pay grade.

The Scottish Government Office in the USA has operated with either 4 or 5 members of staff since its establishment in 2001. Provided below are details of salary scale and job titles from 2018-19:

FY	Scottish Government Civil Servants - Salary scale	Job Title	Country Based Staff	Job Title
2018-19	2 x A-C Band	Head of Scottish Government Office Deputy Head of Scottish Government Office	2	Office-Project Manager Communications & Engagements Officer
2019-20	2 x A-C Band	Head of Scottish Government Office Deputy Head of Scottish Government Office	2	Project and Events Manager Communications & Engagements Officer
2020-21	2 x A-C Band	Head of Scottish Government Office Deputy Head of Scottish Government Office	3	Project and Events Manager Congressional Engagements Officer (intern) Communications Manager
2021-22	2 x A-C Band	Head of Scottish Government Office Deputy Head of Scottish Government Office	3	Project and Events Manager Communications Manager Relationships Manager (1 year)
2022-23	2 x A-C Band	Head of Scottish Government Office Deputy Head of Scottish Government Office	2	Project and Events Manager Communication Manager
2023-24	2 x A-C Band	Head of Scottish Government Office Deputy Head of Scottish Government Office	2	Project and Events Manager Communications Manager

Between the financial years 2007-08 and 2013-14, the Head of Scottish Government Office in the USA was graded as SCS1. From 2014-15 this role was regraded within A-C Band.

Please note we are unable to provide a small amount of the information you have requested relating to the specific pay grades of each member of staff. This information is personal data of a third party, and disclosing it would contravene the data protection principles in Article 5(1) of the General Data Protection Regulation and in section 34(1) of the Data Protection Act 2018.

Question reference: S6W-24308

Asked by: Donald Cameron, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 04 January 2024
Current Status: Answered by Angus Robertson on 31 January 2024

To ask the Scottish Government how many (a) civil servants and (b) other staff, including those appointed by ministers, have worked in its Scottish Affairs Office in Paris in each year since its establishment, also broken down by (i) job title and (ii) pay grade.

The Scottish Government Office in Paris has operated with 3 members of staff since its establishment in 2018.

Scottish Government Civil Servants / Salary scale

Job Title

Country Based Staff

Job Title

2 x A-C Band

Head of Scottish Government Office

Deputy Head of Scottish Government Office

1

Engagement Lead and Office Manager

Please note we are unable to provide a small amount of the information you have requested relating to the specific pay grades of each member of staff. This information is personal data of a third party, and disclosing it would contravene the data protection principles in Article 5(1) of the General Data Protection Regulation and in section 34(1) of the Data Protection Act 2018.

Question reference: S6W-24743

Asked by: Donald Cameron, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 24 January 2024
Current Status: Answered by Christina McKelvie on 31 January 2024

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-24287 by Christina McKelvie on 17 January 2024, whether there have been any cases of (a) cultural, (b) arts and (c) heritage organisations not abiding by its Intangible Cultural Heritage principles, and, if so, whether it can provide details of this.

The UK Government notified its intention to ratify the UNESCO convention for safeguarding of intangible cultural heritage on 23 December 2023. The Scottish Government will work with the other UK nations alongside key Scottish stakeholders to consider the most appropriate methods of implementing the convention once ratified.

The Scottish Government is unaware of any cases of cultural, arts or heritage organisations which have agreed Intangible Cultural Heritage principles and then not abided by them.

Question reference: S6W-24303

Asked by: Donald Cameron, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 03 January 2024
Current Status: Answered by Angus Robertson on 31 January 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will confirm all costs associated with the launch event for the Scottish Affairs Office in Dublin.

Question reference: S6W-24298

Asked by: Donald Cameron, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 03 January 2024
Current Status: Answered by Angus Robertson on 31 January 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will confirm all costs associated with the launch event for the Scottish Affairs Office in Canada.

Question reference: S6W-24304

Asked by: Donald Cameron, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 03 January 2024
Current Status: Answered by Angus Robertson on 31 January 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will confirm all costs associated with the launch event for the Scottish Affairs Office in Berlin.

Question reference: S6W-24281

Asked by: Donald Cameron, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 03 January 2024
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 31 January 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether it has conducted any analysis on whether its proposed increase in rail fares for 2024-25 could potentially lead to an increase in road traffic numbers in the Highlands and Islands region.

Chamber and committees