Scottish Government expenditure on public awareness campaigns for Redress Scheme: FOI release

Information requested

On June 16, 2021, the then-Deputy First Minister John Swinney informed Parliament that a "public awareness campaign" would be a "major priority" to maximize applications.

I am now requesting this information from the Scottish Government, which holds the central communications and justice budgets for the scheme, in case some expenditure on public outreach/awareness has been done by the government directly rather than through the Redress organisation.

Information Requested:

1. Total Expenditure: Please provide the total amount spent by the Scottish Government on public awareness, marketing, and advertising for the Redress Scheme from June 16, 2021, to the present date (11/04/2026).
2. Annual Breakdown: Please break this total down by financial year (2021/22, 2022/23, 2023/24, 2024/25, and 2025/26 to date).
3. Categorised Breakdown: For each year, please specify the amount spent on different areas including:

• Television advertising
• Radio advertising
• Digital/Social Media marketing (e.g., Facebook, Google Ads)
• Out-of-Home advertising (e.g., Billboards, transport posters)
• National and Local Press advertising
• Research and Focus Groups (conducted to inform campaign messaging)

Response

How much has been spent on television advertising since 16 June 2021? (Break down by financial year) - £0
How much has been spent on radio advertising since 16 June 2021? (Break down by financial year) £0
How much has been spent on Digital/Social Media marketing since 16 June 2021? (Break down by financial year) - £0
How much has been spent on Out-of-Home advertising since 16 June 2021? (Break down by financial year) - £0
How much has been spent on National and Local Press advertising since 16 June 2021? (Break down by financial year) - £0
How much has been spent on Research and Focus Groups since 16 June 2021? (Break down by financial year) - £0

Since Scotland’s Redress Scheme opened in December 2021, more than 3,400 applicants have accepted an offer of financial redress, with over £180 million paid to survivors. Although there has been no public awareness campaign to date, we will carefully consider whether this is required before scheme closure. It is crucial that eligible survivors are aware of the scheme and that we have raised awareness amongst hard to reach groups.

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