International Network Offices information: FOI release

Information requested

Information about the External Office Network for the year ending 31st March 2025 including:

1. Location of office.
2. Date of opening.
3. Staff numbers for each office.
4. Total staff costs, including National Insurance & pension contributions.
5. Any other administration costs in running the offices.
6. The number of visits made by Angus Robertson to each office in the year.
7. The total costs incurred by Angus Robertson and any ancillary Civil Service staff in the year requested.
8. A report from the Department responsible for the External Offices for the year requested setting out objectives and achievements.

Response

I enclose a copy of some of the information you requested below.

Most of the information you have requested is available from the Scottish Government website. 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(s) listed, then please contact me again and I will send you a paper copy.

While our aim is to provide information whenever possible, in this instance the Scottish Government does not have some the information you have requested. The reasons why we don't have the information are explained in the response below.

An exemption under section s.38(1) of FOISA applies to some of the information you have requested. The reasons why this exemption applies are explained in the response below.

This exemption is not subject to the 'public interest test', so we are not required to consider if the public interest in disclosing the information outweighs the public interest in applying the exemption.

1. Location of office

This information is available from the Scottish Government website, which you can find here: International offices: guide - 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(s) listed, then please contact me again and I will send you a paper copy.

2. Date of opening

This information is available from the Scottish Government website, which you can find here: International offices: guide - 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(s) listed, then please contact me again and I will send you a paper copy.

3. Staff numbers for each office

This information is available from Scotland's International Strategy Annual Report 2024-25, which you can find here: International strategy: annual report 2024 to 2025 - 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(s) listed, then please contact me again and I will send you a paper copy.

For ease of reference, this information is on page 66.

4. Total staff costs, including national insurance and pension contributions

Some of this information is available from Scotland's International Strategy Annual Report 2024-25, which you can find here: International strategy: annual report 2024 to 2025 - 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(s) listed, then please contact me again and I will send you a paper copy.

For ease of reference, this information is on page 66.

Some of the information you requested relating to national insurance and pension contributions of International Network staff is exempt from release under section 38(1)(b) of FOISA as this information is personal data.

5. Any other administrative costs in running the offices 

This information is available from Scotland's International Strategy Annual Report 2024-25, which you can find here: International strategy: annual report 2024 to 2025 - 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(s) listed, then please contact me again and I will send you a paper copy.

For ease of reference, this information is on page 66.

6. The number of visits made by Angus Robertson to each office in the year 

This information is available from Scotland's International Strategy Annual Report 2024-25, which you can find here: International strategy: annual report 2024 to 2025 - 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(s) listed, then please contact me again and I will send you a paper copy.

For ease of reference, this information is on pages 80-82.

7. The total costs incurred by Angus Robertson and any ancillary Civil Service staff in the year requested

I have interpreted “the total costs incurred by Angus Robertson and any ancillary Civil Service staff in the year requested” to mean the total costs incurred by Angus Robertson and any ancillary Civil Service staff when visiting the International Network Offices in the year requested.

The information regarding total costs incurred by Angus Robertson is available from the Ministerial engagements, travel and gifts collection on the Scottish Government website, which you can find here: Ministerial engagements, travel and gifts - gov.scot

The information regarding total costs incurred by ancillary Civil Service is provided in the table below:

Event information	Flights (£)	Accommodation (£)	Travel and Subsistence costs (£)	Total cost (£)
April 2024 USA New York Tartan Week	*s.25(1)	*s.25(1)	*s.25(1)	*s.25(1)
May 2024 Germany Arctic Circle Forum	185.97 **s.17(1)(b)	218.16 **s.17(1)(b)	Food - 152.39 Public transport - 18.78 Taxi - 239.47 Arctic Circle Forum Registration - 280.50	1,095.27
January 2025 Denmark & Sweden Burns Night and screen sector promotion	**s.17(1)(b)	125.01 **s.17(1)(b)	Train - 35.74 Food and other transport - 43.58	204.33
February 2025 Belgium Burns Night and UK-EU relations	**s.17(1)(b)	**s.17(1)(b)	Food - 52.75 Transport - 9.50	62.25

*This information is available from the Scottish Government website which you can find here: Cost and attendees to Tartan week in New York 2024: FOI release - 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(s) listed, then please contact me again and I will send you a paper copy.

**Some of the information you have requested is not held by the Scottish Government.

Under section 17(1)(b) of FOISA, we must provide you with notice when we do not hold the information you have requested. I have included further explanation below.

May 2024 Germany Arctic Circle Forum

The information regarding flight and accommodation costs for Private Office civil service staff is not held in line with Ministerial Private Office’s 3 month information retention schedule.

January 2025 Denmark & Sweden Burns Night and screen sector promotion

The information regarding flight costs for Private Office civil service staff is not held in line with Ministerial Private Office’s 3 month information retention schedule. The Head of the Nordic Office acted as official support during this visit and since they are based in Denmark, no flight costs were incurred.

February 2025 Belgium Burns Night and UK-EU relations

The information regarding flight and accommodation costs for Private Office civil service staff is not held in line with Ministerial Private Office’s 3 month information retention schedule. No other civil service staff acted as official support during this visit and therefore no further flight or accommodation costs were incurred.

8. A report from the Department responsible for the External Offices for the year requested setting out objectives and achievements

This information is available from Scotland's International Strategy Annual Report 2024-25, which you can find here: International strategy: annual report 2024 to 2025 - 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(s) listed, then please contact me again and I will send you a paper copy.

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.