FOI Request - Communications Staff

Request 101002683186

1. Can you please set out how many FTE frontline communications staff/press officers there have been for each of the ten years to 2019/20. If an average number cannot be sourced, pick March as a snapshot.
1b. How many FTE frontline communications staff/press officers were there in January (snapshot) 2021.
1c. What was the annual cost of employing those frontline staff in all those years 2009/10 - 2019/20.
2. How many FTE frontline communications staff/press officers have been employed that have been outsourced, In other words, not in-house but external PR/communications supplied by a private company in all those years 2009/10 - 2019/20
2b. How much was spent in those outsourced frontline PR/communications/press office functions, in other words, not in-house but external PR/communications supplied by a private company (as per Q4).

Response 12-02-2021

1. Two. Three (including secondment) during 2020 to support Covid-19 pandemic.

1b. Two.

1c. Due to the low numbers, disclosing the cost could identify individual salaries and therefore this information is exempt under section 38(1)(b) of the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002 'personal information'. We can confirm that the grading of the two posts are as follows:

Grade 10 

Grade 7, moving to Grade 8 in 2017.

2. None.