Alison Mackenzie

(by email to mailto:[FOI #10010 email])

Your ref: 30 March 2009

Our ref: FoI/09/00446

May 2009

Dear Ms Mackenzie,

Thank you for your email of 30 March 2009 requesting information under the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002. You requested information on the TV services provided to the First Minister in Bute House.

We have now completed our search for the information you request, and this is provided below.

1) How many tvs are there in Bute House, what digital or sky package do they use, at what cost and who pays the bill?

There are four televisions located in living quarters and various working offices in Bute House.

The current contract with Telewest (now Virgin Media) was set up in January 2005 and was amended to a Residential/Consumer package in October 2006. The TVs use the standard Virgin Media cable TV package XL via a set top box. The package includes Sky Movie 2, Sky Movie 1, Sports 1 and Sports 2. The service charge of £80 per month, inclusive of VAT and is paid for as part of the Scottish Government corporate cable tv service.

2) Has the First Minister or any Bute House Official/Resident used any additional services such as Sky Box office at any point since May 2007? If so, can you please list the films and cost in each case.

The First Minister, who is the official resident of Bute House, has not used any additional services such as Sky Box office.

If you are unhappy with this response to your request, you may ask us to carry out an internal review, by writing to Anne Moises, Chief Information Officer, Saughton House, Broomhouse Drive, Edinburgh, EH11 3XD. Your request should explain why you wish a review to be carried out, and should be made within 40 working days of receipt of this letter, and we will reply within 20 working days of receipt.

If you are not satisfied with the result of the review, you then have the right to make a formal complaint to the Scottish Information Commissioner.

Yours sincerely,

Eric McAllister,

Infrastructure Manager