To match an exact phrase, use quotation marks around the search term. eg. "Parliamentary Estate". Use "OR" or "AND" as link words to form more complex queries.


Keep yourself up-to-date with the latest developments by exploring our subscription options to receive notifications direct to your inbox

Written Question
UN Climate Conference 2021: Scotland
Wednesday 10th March 2021

Asked by: Andrew Gwynne (Labour - Denton and Reddish)

Question to the Scotland Office:

What discussions he has had with (a) Cabinet colleagues and (b) the Scottish Government on preparations for COP26 in Glasgow.

Answered by Alister Jack - Secretary of State for Scotland

The Scotland Office has regular discussions with other UK Government Departments and the Scottish Government regarding COP26 and I am confident that preparations are in good shape.


Written Question
Scotland Office: Freedom of Information
Monday 24th April 2017

Asked by: Andrew Gwynne (Labour - Denton and Reddish)

Question to the Scotland Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, how many staff in his Department respond to Freedom of Information requests.

Answered by David Mundell

Depending on the nature of the request and to ensure an appropriate response, staff from across the Department are involved in responding to Freedom of Information requests.


Written Question
Scotland Office: Freedom of Information
Wednesday 22nd March 2017

Asked by: Andrew Gwynne (Labour - Denton and Reddish)

Question to the Scotland Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, what his Department's average response rate was to individual Freedom of Information requests in each month from July 2016 to date.

Answered by David Mundell

FOI statistics are Official Statistics and are governed by the standards set out by the UK Statistics Authority (UKSA) in their Code of Practice. To publish information outside of the release timetable would be a breach of Protocol 2 of the Code of Practice for Official Statistics.

The latest Freedom of Information statistics were published in December 2016 and are available at:

https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/freedom-of-information-statistics-july-to-september-2016--2


Written Question
Scotland Office: Location
Thursday 3rd November 2016

Asked by: Andrew Gwynne (Labour - Denton and Reddish)

Question to the Scotland Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, (a) how many and (b) what proportion of senior civil service graded posts in his Department classified as (i) deputy director, (ii) assistant director, (iii) team leader and (iv) policy manager have been based outside London in each year since 2014.

Answered by David Mundell

The Scotland Office has no Senior Civil Service roles classified as Assistant Director, Team Leader or Policy Manager.

The Scotland Office had two Deputy Director roles based outside London in 2014 and 2015, and three Deputy Director roles based outside London in 2016. This is equivalent to 40% of its Deputy Director headcount in 2014 and 2015, and 60% in 2016.


Written Question
Scotland Office: Stationery
Monday 9th November 2015

Asked by: Andrew Gwynne (Labour - Denton and Reddish)

Question to the Scotland Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, what estimate he has made of the value of stationery that has been (a) lost and (b) stolen from his Department in each of the last five fiscal years; and what the cost was of replacing such stationery.

Answered by David Mundell

No items of stationery have been reported as lost or stolen in the last five years.


Written Question
Scotland Office: Pay
Tuesday 3rd November 2015

Asked by: Andrew Gwynne (Labour - Denton and Reddish)

Question to the Scotland Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, how much was paid in (a) year-end and (b) in-year bonuses to officials of his Department in each of the last three years.

Answered by David Mundell

All staff in the Scotland Office are on assignment, secondment or loan from other Government bodies, in the majority of cases, the Scottish Government and the Ministry of Justice. Staff may be eligible for bonuses, in addition to basic salary, through their parent bodies' pay arrangements.

The Scotland Office does not keep records of year-end performance payments or allowances to staff below Senior Civil Service level. These records are kept under staffs' parent bodies' pay arrangements. Scotland Office Senior Civil Service performance awards are agreed within a common framework set by the Cabinet Office and are published in the Scotland Office Annual Report and Accounts.

The Scotland Office is able to authorise directly non-consolidated and non-pensionable bonus payments in recognition of special effort, achievement and commitment, where the payment of such bonuses forms part of the individual member of staff’s terms and conditions. The current bonus arrangements do not apply to staff on assignment from the Scottish Government.

The following information shows the cost of such payments in the last three financial years:

Financial Year

Total Cost of Payments in-year bonuses

Number of Awards

Total Cost of Payments year-end (SCS only)

Number of Awards

2012-13

£3,050

7

£0

0

2013-14

£4,700

16

£0

0

2014-15

£0

0

£5-10

1



Written Question
Scotland Office: Buildings
Thursday 25th June 2015

Asked by: Andrew Gwynne (Labour - Denton and Reddish)

Question to the Scotland Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, what proportion of the office space owned or leased by his Department is not in regular use; what the total (a) rental and (b) retail value is of all such office space; and if he will place in the Library a copy of his most recent departmental real estate valuation.

Answered by David Mundell

The Scotland Office occupies two leasehold buildings, one in Edinburgh and one in London. The Edinburgh building is fully occupied by the Scotland Office and other government bodies which contribute towards its cost. The London building was fully occupied by the Scotland Office, the Office of the Advocate General and other government bodies until recently when the Deputy Prime Minister’s Office ceased to occupy space in the building. The Scotland Office is now in discussion with other government bodies to occupy this space. Under the terms of the lease the space may not be let commercially, but may only be used by Crown bodies. The retail value is a matter for the building’s owners.


Written Question
Scotland Office: Buildings
Thursday 25th June 2015

Asked by: Andrew Gwynne (Labour - Denton and Reddish)

Question to the Scotland Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, which buildings occupied by his Department are owned or part-owned privately; what the total value is of the rent paid to private landlords for the use of such buildings for official duties; and to whom such rent is paid.

Answered by David Mundell

The Scotland Office’s premises in Edinburgh are privately owned. The building is shared with several other government bodies which contribute towards its cost under civil estate occupancy agreements. The total annual value of the rent in 2015-16, including for space paid for by other government bodies, is £93,060. The rent is paid to Ruthven Properties Ltd.