Question to the Scotland Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, how many and what proportion of the staff employed by his Department are apprentices.

The Office of the Secretary of State for Scotland remains committed to apprenticeships as part of a modern employment route into the Civil Service and across the wider economy.

The Office of the Secretary of State for Scotland does not employ staff directly; all staff that join - including apprentices - do so on an assignment, loan or secondment from other Government bodies.

The Office of the Secretary of State for Scotland, has previously, and continues to recruit Modern Apprentices through Scottish Government and the Ministry of Justice. However, due to the number involved, an estimate of apprentices working at the Department cannot be provided to protect the privacy and identity of those concerned.