Breakdown of First Minister expenses and staffing costs: FOI release

Information requested

The following information regarding Nicola Sturgeon’s expenses from The Scottish Government.

1. Please provide a full breakdown and details of office costs for years 2021-2022 and 2020-2021. This should include, staffing, postage and couriers, stationary and printing, shredding, software and applications, advertising and working from home allowance.

2. Please provide a full breakdown and details of staffing costs for years 2021-2022 and 2020-2021. This should include the number of staff she has.

3. Please provide a full breakdown of the cost of the ministerial car for years 2021-2022 and 2020- 2021.

4. Please provide a full breakdown of any travel claims, eg flights for year 2021-22 and 2020-2021.

5. Please provide a full breakdown of any accommodation claims for year 2021-2022 and 2020-2021.

6. Please provide a full breakdown of any maintenance claims for year 2021-2022 and 2020-2021.

Response

Regarding question number 1;

The First Minister’s Private Office is part of the wider Ministerial Private Office Division and costs are not collated separately.

This is a formal notice under section 17(1) of FOISA that the Scottish Government does not have the information you have requested.

Regarding question number 2;

For 2021 – 2022

• Total staff in post - 5
• YTD figure for staffing costs – £436369

For 2020 – 2021

• Total staff in post - 11
• YTD figure for staffing costs – £564223

Regarding questions 3 to 6;

Details of all Ministerial engagements and expenses are proactively published by the Scottish Government, including the costs of travel and accommodation. The information can be accessed at the below link: https://www.gov.scot/collections/ministerial-engagements-travel-and-gifts/.

Under section 25(1) of FOISA, we do not have to give you information which is already reasonably accessible to you. If, however, you do not have internet access to obtain this information from the website(s) listed, then please contact me again and I will send you a paper copy.

An exemption(s) under section(s) 27(1) of FOISA applies to some the information you have requested. This exemption can be applied when it is the intention of the relevant Scottish public authority to publish the information no later than 12 weeks after the date on which the request was made.

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