Scottish Agricultural Wages Board (SAWB) details: FOI release

Information requested

The total costs incurred by the Scottish Agricultural Wages Board from 2014 to the present day.

Response

I should start by explaining what the Wages Board is. The SAWB is independent from Scottish Government and its Ministers in its decision making and is a Non-Departmental Public Body set up under the Agricultural Wages (Scotland) Act 1949. The Board's statutory remit enables it to make Wage Orders fixing minimum wage rates, holiday entitlement and other terms and conditions of service for workers employed in the agriculture sector in Scotland. Membership of the SAWB is made up from representatives from the NFUS, Scottish Land & Estates, Unite the Union and independent members, including the Chair, who are appointed by Scottish Ministers via the Public Appointment process.

The Board meets usually twice a year in order to set rates for the year ahead and those meetings are held at Scottish Government premises. The Chair of the Board and the other Independents are entitled to receive a daily rate for their attendance at meetings plus reimbursement of any reasonable travel expenses incurred in travelling to the meeting venue. Members of the SG Agri Wages Enforcement team, such as myself, form the secretariat that services the Board and manage, across the year, any requests that come via the phone or via email.

The Board itself has no staff, building, budget, IT or HR capability.

For members attendance at meetings, which can vary depending on what is being discussed, I would expect, annually, to budget £2,000 across the 2 Board meetings for attendance and expenses for the Independent members of the Board.

There are no SAWB Events.

The SAWB has had no engagement with either Scottish Government Ministers or with Cabinet Secretaries.

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