Scottish Government spend on prepaid mobile phones: FOI release

Information requested

How much money has the Scottish Government spent on prepaid mobile phones for the First Minister's department and the corporate department in the last five years, with a breakdown per year?

Response

Scottish Government routinely issues corporately owned devices (smart phones or mobile phone devices) for overseas travel in specific circumstances. On return from these specific overseas visits, these corporately owned devices are handed back to Scottish Government.

In relation to your request, interpreting pre-paid mobile phones as any mobile phones purchased outside of the SG telephony contracts, I can confirm Ministerial Private Office Division (within Directorate General Corporate) has purchased the following mobile phones and sim cards for use on overseas visits:

• 1 mobile phone with a sim card in November 2022 at a cost of £75
• 2 mobile phones without a sim card in October 2023 at a cost of £106 each (£212)

The above purchases were made because time constraints meant it was not possible to issue a SG corporately owned device in advance of overseas travel.

About FOI

The Scottish Government is committed to publishing all information released in response to Freedom of Information requests. View all FOI responses at https://www.gov.scot/foi-responses.