Information regarding First Minister’s Visit and Events Team: FOI release

Information requested

1. When was the First Minister’s Visit and Events Team created?
2. How many people are within the First Minister’s Visit and Events Team? If the First Minister’s Visit and Events Team sits within another team, I require only the details of those who are dedicated to Visits and Events.
3. What is the role/purpose of the First Minister’s Visit and Events Team?
4. Have previous First Ministers (before Nicola Sturgeon) had a Visit and Events Team?
5. What is the working title and annual salary of each member of the First Minister’s Visit and Events Team? (Breakdown example; Person 1, Team Leader, £XX,XXX)
6. Are the First Minister’s Visit and Events Team entitled to expenses?
7. What was the annual expenses total for employees within the Visits and Events Team since 2014, including petrol, boarding and food? (Breakdown example; 2014, £XX,XXX)
8. Do the First Minister’s Visit and Events Team visit locations prior to the First Minister attending events there?
9. Does this include trips outside the UK?
10. Do Police Scotland colleagues participate in these trips?
11. Do the First Minister’s Visit and Events Team claim expenses when they visit locations prior to the First Minister attending events?
12. What was the annual expenses total for employees within the Visits and Events Team, specifically for pre event visits, since 2014, including petrol, boarding and food? (Breakdown example; 2014, £XX,XXX)
13. Are these location pre visits necessary? If yes, please explain why?
14. What do members of the First Minister’s Visit and Events Team do on location during a visit when the First Minister is present?
15. Can the First Minister’s Visit and Events Teams’ job not be carried out by Scottish Government employees already in attendance at visits and events? For example; Private Secretaries, Media Support, Police Scotland?
16. Can you explain why, when on a visit, the First Minister is entitled to bring so many unnecessary people with her when the organisation she is visiting was told to keep numbers to a minimum and the Visits and Events Team and Private Secretaries don’t appear to do anything?

Response

Please see below all the information we hold relevant to your request.

Question 1: When was the First Minister’s Visit and Events Team created?

Scottish Government does not maintain a record of changing staff structures. Information in the Records Management system shows files which suggest a dedicated visits and events team to support the First Minister was in place from 2011. We can confirm that team called ‘Visits and Events team’ was in place from 2013.

Question 2: How many people are within the First Minister’s Visit and Events Team? If the First Minister’s Visit and Events Team sits within another team, I require only the details of those who are dedicated to Visits and Events.

On the date of your request, the Visits and Events team has six dedicated members of staff, who also work flexibly, as required, across Ministerial Private Office Division.

Question 3: What is the role/purpose of the First Minister’s Visit and Events Team?

The team works in partnership with Scottish Government colleagues and external stakeholders to plan, deliver and manage high-quality events and high-profile international engagements for all Scottish Government Ministers. The team also regularly work to deliver travelling Cabinets and receptions hosted by Scottish Government ministers, where official government hospitality is provided to mark an occasion, host a visiting foreign dignitary, recognise achievements and/or to promote Scottish excellence.

Question 4: Have previous First Ministers (before Nicola Sturgeon) had a Visit and Events Team?

Information held by Scottish Government shows the former First Minister Alex Salmond was supported by a dedicated ‘First Minister Visits and Events’ team. Former First Ministers McConnell, McLeish and Dewar were supported by a range of officials; however, our searches of our electronic records system (dating from 2005) suggest this was not referred to as a ‘First Minister’s Visits and Events Team’.

Question 5: What is the working title and annual salary of each member of the First Minister’s Visit and Events Team? (Breakdown example; Person 1, Team Leader, £XX,XXX)

On the date of your request, the visits and events team comprised of the following staff. Pay ranges are shown as of 01 April 2022.

Team member	Title	Grade	Pay Range
1	Senior Visits and Events Manager	B3	£41,642 to £49,860
2	Visits and Events Manager	B2	£33,120 to £37,936
3	Visits and Events Manager	B2	£33,120 to £37,936
4	Visits and Events Manager	B2	£33,120 to £37,936
5	Visits and Events Manager	B2	5£33,120 to £37,936
6	Business Manager	B1	£28,702 to £31,541

Question 6: Are the First Minister’s Visit and Events Team entitled to expenses?

The civil servants working in the Visits and Events team can apply for travel and subsistence expenses incurred when at work. There is a single travel and subsistence scheme for all civil servants in the Scottish Government.

Question 7: What was the annual expenses total for employees within the Visits and Events Team since 2014, including petrol, boarding and food? (Breakdown example; 2014, £XX,XXX)

Total Travel and subsistence claims made by civil servants in the Visits and Events team are shown in the table below:

Calendar Year	Total of travel and subsistence claims made by Visits and Events team members
2014	£2,761.89
2015	£6,170.02
2016	£1,242.84
2017	£3,607.97
2018	£3,876.45
2019	£1,581.03
2020	£336.35
2021	£1,818.73
2022	£5,502.86
2023 to date of request	£622.34

Question 8: Do the First Minister’s Visit and Events Team visit locations prior to the First Minister attending events there?

An advance visit by Visits and Events may be made prior to the First Minister attending events, depending on circumstances.

Question 9: Does this include trips outside the UK?

The First Minister participates in official visits in Scotland, in the wider UK and overseas. All of the First Minister’s engagements are published on the Scottish Government website: Ministerial engagements, travel and gifts - gov.scot (www.gov.scot)

Question 10: Do Police Scotland colleagues participate in these trips?

The Scottish Government does not comment on security matters. An exemption under section 39(1) of FOISA applies to some of the information you have requested. This is because disclosure would, or would be likely to, endanger the physical or mental health or safety of an individual. This exemption is subject to the ‘public interest test.’ Therefore, taking account of all the circumstances of this case, we have considered if the public interest in disclosing the information outweighs the public interest in applying the exemption. We have found that, on balance, the public interest lies in favour of upholding the exemption. We recognise that there is some public interest in the security arrangements for the First Minister’s engagements. However, this is outweighed by the public interest in the safety of the First Minister.

Question 11: Do the First Minister’s Visit and Events Team claim expenses when they visit locations prior to the First Minister attending events?

The civil servants working in the Visits and Events team can apply for travel and subsistence expenses incurred when at work. There is a single travel and subsistence scheme for all civil servants in the Scottish Government.

Question 12: What was the annual expenses total for employees within the Visits and Events Team, specifically for pre-event visits, since 2014, including petrol, boarding and food? (Breakdown example; 2014, £XX,XXX)

Total Travel and subsistence claims for pre-event visits made by civil servants in the Visits and Events team are shown in the table below:

Calendar Year	Total of travel and subsistence claims identified as relating to ‘pre-event visits’ made by Visits and Events team members
2014	£347.93
2015	£1,936.17
2016	£606.38
2017	£1,908.85
2018	£297.43
2019	£150.88
2020	£20.82
2021	£1,121.85
2022	£1,518.21
2023 to date of request	£92

Question 13: Are these location pre visits necessary? If yes, please explain why?

Advance visits are standard practice in events management.

Question 14: What do members of the First Minister’s Visit and Events Team do on location during a visit when the First Minister is present?

The Visits and Events team provide on-the-ground logistical support for the First Minister. For example, this includes arriving in advance of First Minister at each event, engagement with the hosts, management of attendees, liaison with communication colleagues and press attending the event, and working with colleagues to ensure the event runs on time and that all event objectives are achieved.

Question 15: Can the First Minister’s Visit and Events Teams’ job not be carried out by Scottish Government employees already in attendance at visits and events? For example, Private Secretaries, Media Support, Police Scotland?

Question 16: Can you explain why, when on a visit, the First Minister is entitled to bring so many unnecessary people with her when the organisation she is visiting was told to keep numbers to a minimum and the Visits and Events Team and Private Secretaries don’t appear to do anything?

Question 15 and Question 16 are discussion points rather than information requests. In response to questions 15 and 16 we can confirm only that Scottish Government always try to keep the number of supporting officials to a minimum and observe any restrictions placed on us by the hosting venue.

About FOI

The Scottish Government is committed to publishing all information released in response to Freedom of Information requests. View all FOI responses at http://www.gov.scot/foi-responses.