Scottish Government's 25/26 Public sector pay policy queries: FOI release

Information requested

3. How many times was the Scottish Government's 25/26 public sector pay policy broken, and could you explain why it was broken each time?

4. Could you supply all documentation held by the Scottish Government, including correspondence sent and received (including internal), minutes/notes from meetings, briefings and analysis, about the government's 26/27 public sector pay policy, from the last month?

Response

3. How many times was the Scottish Government's 25/26 public sector pay policy broken, and could you explain why it was broken each time?

To date, with the vast majority of pay deals having been agreed across the public sector, only one pay deal could be viewed as having exceeded the 9% pay envelope set out in the 2025-26 Public Sector Pay Policy. The pay award agreed for College Support staff in November 2025 was a 3 year deal, consisting of a 4.25% increase in 2025-26, 3.4% in 2026-27 and a further 3% in 2027-28. This award represents a cumulative increase of 10.65% and helped avoid potential disruption across the Further Education sector.

​​​​​​​The Scottish Government has given agreement to provide funding for the first two years of this deal as to go beyond that would breach the affordable limits of the 9% pay envelope. Colleges and Unions will need to agree the funding approach for 2027-28.

​​​​​​​In publishing the Integrated Public Sector Pay and Workforce Policy 2026-27, the Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Local Government has acknowledged that many multi-year deals cover only two years of the three-year policy. To address this, Cabinet Secretary has committed to review the pay policy as part of the 2027-28 Budget process.

​​​​​​​4. Could you supply all documentation held by the Scottish Government, including correspondence sent and received (including internal), minutes/notes from meetings, briefings and analysis, about the government's 26/27 public sector pay policy, from the last month?

​​​​​​​The Scottish Government did not publish a standalone 2026-27 Public Sector Pay Policy.

​​​​​​​On 13 January 2026, a new Integrated Public Sector Pay and Workforce Policy was published and is available here - Scottish Budget 2026 to 2027: integrated public sector pay and workforce policy - gov.scot. 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 listed, then please contact me again and I will send you a paper copy.

​​​​​​​Within this publication, the pay metrics published previously in the 2025-26 Public Sector Pay policy were reiterated.

​​​​​​​The attached documentation includes all correspondence sent and received (including internal), minutes/notes from meetings, briefings and analysis, in relation to the development of this Integrated Pay and Workforce Policy from the last month (21 December 2025 to 21 January 2026).

​​​​​​​An exemption(s) under section s.38(1)b of FOISA applies to some of the information you have requested. Under section 38(1)(b) of FOISA, we do not have to give you personal data where disclosure would contravene any of the data protection principles in Article 5(1) of the UK GDPR and in section 34(1) of the DPA 2018.

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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.

FOI 202600502606 - Information Released - Annex

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