Breakdown of Scottish Government spend on Lawyers and Business Analyst roles: FOI release
- Published
- 22 January 2025
- Directorate
- People Directorate
- Topic
- Public sector, Work and skills
- FOI reference
- FOI/202400443944
- Date received
- 5 December 2024
- Date responded
- 30 December 2024
Information request and response under the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002.
Information requested
By financial year, from 2015 to present:
1. (Question 1) Total expense by the Scottish Government on employing Lawyers. Please list exact job titles you include. Please break this down by:
a. Wage bill
b. Employer taxes
c. Pension contributions
d. Severance/voluntary redundancy payments
e. Perks
f. Other (if applicable. Please break this down further by any significant sub-categories if these are stored).
2. (Question 2) Total expense by the Scottish Government on employing Business Analysts.
Please break this down by the same categories as specified in (1).
3. (Question 3) Average wage of Scottish Government-employed Lawyers, both actual and full time equivalent.
4. (Question 4) Average wage of Scottish Government-employed Business Analysts, both actual and full time equivalent.
Response
In relation to all questions, Scottish Government only holds information on job titles from the 2017-2018 Financial Year onwards. This is a formal notice under section 17(1) of FOISA that the Scottish Government does not have some of the information you have requested.
Information relates to Scottish Government Core Directorates only.
Question 1
The following job titles have been interpreted as falling under the scope of 'lawyer':
Lawyer - Job titles |
senior principal legal officer |
solicitor |
solicitor-head of branch |
C1 Principal Legal Offiicer |
Solicitor |
Solicitor - Branch Head |
Solicitor - Head of Branch 2 |
Solicitor Head of Branch 2 |
Solicitor and Head of Branch |
Solicitor to the Inquiry Into Queen Elizabeth University Hospital & the Royal Hospital for Children and Young Persons |
Solicitor to the Scottish Government |
Solicitor to the Scottish Government and Director of SGLD |
Solicitor, Head of Unit |
Solicitor, branch head |
Solicitor: Head of Social Care Legal Services Unit |
Deputy Solicitor to the Scottish Hospitals Inquiry |
Branch Head Lawyer |
C2 LAWYER |
C2 Lawyer |
LAWYER |
Lawyer |
lawyer |
We have interpreted 'perks' as employee recognition reward mechanisms, which are commonly understood to be employee 'perks'. The table is broken down by wage costs, employer national insurance contributions, and pension contributions. The cost of severance/ voluntary redundancy payments, and other 'perks', was nil.
(£) |
2017-18 |
2018-19 |
2019-20 |
2020-21 |
2021-22 |
2022-23 |
2023-24 |
April 2024 to September 2024 |
Pension Contributions |
972,316 |
1,189,957 |
1,852,362 |
2,407,170 |
2,572,039 |
2,977,186 |
3,446,397 |
1,855,661 |
Employer National Insurance |
509,857 |
619,808 |
756,569 |
1,011,059 |
1,078,734 |
1,269,507 |
1,422,925 |
759,078 |
Wage Costs |
4,375,826 |
5,380,991 |
6,561,842 |
8,644,425 |
9,209,946 |
10,311,556 |
11,975,278 |
6,310,490 |
Total Expense |
5,857,999 |
7,190,756 |
9,170,772 |
12,062,655 |
12,860,718 |
14,558,249 |
16,844,600 |
8,925,229 |
Question 2
The following job titles have been interpreted as falling under the scope of 'Business Analyst':
Business analyst Job titles |
Business Analyst |
Business Analyst & Project Manager |
Business Analyst (Pathways) |
Business Analyst and Programme Support Officer |
Business Analysts |
Cloud Platform Service Business Analyst |
Junior Business Analyst |
Lead Business Analyst |
Principal Business Analyst |
Principle Business Analyst |
Quality Assurance/Business Analyst |
Risk and Business Analyst |
SENIOR BUSINESS ANALYST |
Senior Business Analyst |
Senior Business Analyst (TRS) |
Senior Business Analyst (benefits) |
Senior Business Analyst, Social Security Programme |
Social Security Directorate - Junior Business Analyst |
Trainee Business Analyst |
ePC Business Analyst |
ePC Team Business Analyst (B1) |
We have interpreted 'perks' as employee recognition reward mechanisms, which are commonly understood to be employee 'perks'. The table is broken down by wage costs, employer national insurance contributions, and pension contributions. The cost of severance/ voluntary redundancy payments, and other 'perks', was nil.
(£) |
2017-18 |
2018-19 |
2019-20 |
2020-21 |
2021-22 |
2022-23 |
2023-24 |
April 2024 to September2024 |
Pension Contributions |
225,566 |
359,111 |
724,213 |
796,618 |
861,601 |
1,059,089 |
1,266,739 |
693,608 |
Employer National Insurance |
125,223 |
201,530 |
299,980 |
337,465 |
366,211 |
455,332 |
520,971 |
280,070 |
Wage Costs |
1,153,790 |
1,880,288 |
2,764,901 |
3,075,837 |
3,283,398 |
3,885,269 |
4,594,210 |
2,436,160 |
Total Expense |
1,504,580 |
2,440,929 |
3,789,094 |
4,209,919 |
4,511,210 |
5,399,690 |
6,381,920 |
3,409,838 |
Question 3
The table below sets out the average wage of Scottish Government employed lawyers (both actual and FTE), for the same period. Please note that salary information provided reflects substantive salaries, which is then multiplied by FTE to get the actual salary. Staff identified are based on the data as at 31 March at the end of the financial year, and salaries are as at 31 March (or 30 September for the 2024- 2025 Financial Year).
Total staff as at end of financial year |
90 |
125 |
140 |
157 |
167 |
188 |
193 |
194 |
Mean Actual Salary (£) |
51772.19 |
50225.03 |
52519.7 |
55552.42 |
56939.06 |
60017.66 |
65093.24 |
67757.74 |
Mean Salary FTE (£) |
57326.46 |
55365.12 |
57637.49 |
60443.47 |
61985.54 |
64623.04 |
70285.13 |
72737.33 |
Question 4
The table below sets out the average wage of Scottish Government employed business analysts (both actual and FTE), for the same period. Please note that salary information provided reflects substantive salaries, which is then multiplied by FTE to get the actual salary. Staff identified are based on the data as at 31 March at the end of the financial year, and salaries are as at 31 March (or 30 September for the 2024-2025 Financial Year).
Total staff as at end of financial year |
34 |
57 |
82 |
77 |
84 |
90 |
99 |
92 |
Mean Actual Salary (£) |
36,406 |
36,597 |
37,669 |
38,988 |
40,818 |
42,740 |
46,392 |
48,742 |
Mean Salary FTE (£) |
37,319 |
37,844 |
38,243 |
40,102 |
41,294 |
43,480 |
46,847 |
49,606 |
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Phone: 0300 244 4000
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