Scottish Government St Andrews Day event in Germany in November 2025 costs: FOI release

Information requested

Information relating to Cabinet Secretary Angus Robertson's visit to Berlin in November 2025.

Response

An exemption under section s.27 of FOISA applies to some of the information you have requested. This information is due to be proactively published on the Scottish Government website in due course.

Costs of St Andrew’s Day reception in Berlin
The Berlin Hub are still finalising these costs and we will proactively publish these in due course. Payments made so far are as follows:

Additional drinks (alcoholic and soft)	£430.30
Accommodation for musicians	£300.50
Fee for piper	£241.00
Travel and accommodation for piper	£212.00
Supplies for stands	£214.00
Photographer	£640

List of organisations who attended St Andrew’s Day
The list of organisations who attended the St Andrew’s Day reception is as follows:

• dena
• Berlin University of the Arts
• Hertie School
• University of Cologne
• Baden-Württemberg Landesvertretung
• Messer SE
• British Embassy Berlin
• Legerwall
• British Chamber of Commerce in Germany
• ELTEC Green Energy GmbH
• GlobalScots
• Liberalel Mittelstand
• Silicon Allee
• CDU Wirtschaftsrat
• Aurora Nova
• Bundestag
• Film Studio Babelsberg
• Ramboll Management
• VisitBritain
• Centre for British Studies
• Deutsch-Britische Gesellschaft
• Abgeordnetenhaus Berlin
• Welsh Government
• Scotland Hub, University of Mainz
• Aquaventus
• The Berlin Ceilidh
• Young Königswinter Alumni
• Museum für Europäische Kulturen
• Embassy of Ireland
• Flagship Founders GmbH
• Deutschlandradio
• FACTORY-C
• FC Union Berlin
• Helmholtz Zentrum Berlin
• Freie Universität Berlin
• Scottish Government
• The Scottish Shop
• Baden-Württemberg International
• Pictureblind.de
• The Firelight Trio
• The Local Germany

Overall cost of trip
Mr Robertson visited Berlin and Bern, Switzerland from 26-29 November 2025. Expenses claimed by the Cabinet Secretary will be proactively published in due course. The delegation stayed at the UK Ambassador’s Residence in Bern, so there were no accommodation expenses in Switzerland. The overall costs for the whole delegation were as follows:

	Cabinet Secretary and two supporting officials
Flights EDI-CDG CDG-GVA ZRH-BER BER – EDI	£1725.86
Hotel Berlin, 2 nights	£953.62
Trains GVA airport – Geneva Geneva – Bern Bern – Zurich airport	£437.37
Taxis	£270.62
Trams	£15.80
Subsistence (food)	£115.99
Total:	£3,519.26

Supporting officials
Mr Robertson was supported by two Scottish Government officials on this visit – a Deputy Private Secretary and a Policy Adviser from the Directorate of Culture and External Affairs.

List of all Ministerial meetings conducted in Berlin
This information will be proactively published at Ministerial engagements, travel and gifts - gov.scot in due course.

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