Government expenditure

Public relations

Public Relations expenditure supports the Scottish Government’s engagement with the public, it includes:

• staffing costs for frontline communications, who work flexibly across all portfolios depending on demand
• social marketing which encourages people to take steps that will improve their lives
• the provision of information about changes that people need to be aware of to support public debate about major policy proposals
• digital communications
• corporate communications which support organisational and staff development to enhance the Scottish Government’s service to the public

The cost of frontline communications staff is published annually  on the Scottish Government website. The total marketing spend in 2024-25 totalled £3.06 million, with details of marketing spend published annually.  

The reduction in expenditure on marketing is expected, due to the additional spending controls in place during 2024-25, which impacted marketing campaigns.

Overseas travel

The total represents expenditure incurred on overseas travel by staff and ministers on official business in the core SG, covering travel to and from the United Kingdom, the cost of hotels, travel and subsistence and any other related expenditure.

The reduction in expenditure on overseas travel is expected, due to the additional spending controls in place during 2024-25.

Hospitality and Entertainment

The total represents expenditure on hospitality and entertainment incurred by the core Scottish Government as recorded in the accounting system in accordance with internal procedures.

External consultancy

The total represents expenditure on consultancy incurred by the core Scottish Government as recorded in the accounting system in accordance with internal procedures, including expenditure directly coded to consultancy account codes and a review of all other expenditure areas for spend incurred with organisations that would be considered consultants.

Expenditure was then reviewed to ensure it covers spend as follows:

• professional services such as management consultancy, IT consultancy, financial consultancy, construction or infrastructure related consultancy, research and evaluation and policy development (including feasibility studies)
• based on the services being procured rather than the name of the supplier or the supplier’s own description of the service (to note previous FOIs for which spend is higher has, for example, included an ask for all spend under certain companies)
• it does not include outsourcing or buying in technical or specialist services such as legal advice and representation or recruitment services (spend reported elsewhere will be higher where it includes this definition)

*Restated to remove expenditure that has now been deemed contractor expenditure, mainly in relation to the Heat in Buildings Programme.

Payments with a value over £25,000

The core Scottish Government proactively publishes a monthly report of payments with a value over £25,000.

Annual reports are also published.

Remuneration - employees

Details of employees who received remuneration in excess of £150,000 in the core Scottish Government in financial years 2023-24 to 2024-25 is set out below:

Details of the salary and pension entitlements of the Scottish Government’s Senior Management Team are published annually within Remuneration and Staff Report as part of the Scottish Government's Consolidated Annual Accounts.

Remuneration - special advisers

The total remuneration (salary costs, employer national insurance and employer pension contributions) paid to special advisers employed during the financial years 2023-24 to 2024-25 are as follows:

Further information on the latest data is set out on the Scottish Parliament Website.