Question to the Scotland Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, whether (a) all staff in his Department's offices in London and Edinburgh and (b) contractors who provide services in his Departments properties are paid the living wage as defined by the Living Wage Foundation.

The Scotland Office does not employ staff directly. All staff that join the Office do so on an assignment, secondment or loan agreement from other Government bodies. All staff on such arrangements are paid more than the rate defined by the Living Wage Foundation.

The Scotland Office has one contract which provides security for the office in Edinburgh. The Scotland Office does not set the wages paid by the contractors to its workers; however, the wage paid by the contractor is above the national minimum wage. Otherwise, the Office uses framework contracts for building services held by the Ministry of Justice and the Scottish Government.