Dear Heather Brooke,

REQUEST FOR INFORMATION ON COSTS OF FREEDOM OF INFORMATION & MARKETING, EXTERNAL COMMUNICATIONS AND PRESS OFFICES

Thank you for your request for information relating to costs of freedom of information and marketing, external communications and press offices, which we received on 28^th July 2009. On 31^st July we wrote to you seeking clarification of your request to enable us to reply as comprehensively as possible. We have not had a reply yet so in order to be helpful, we are taking the opportunity to supply information which is readily available and which we think you may require. We would still be grateful for clarification from you regarding the interpretation of “external communications” so that we can reply to that part of your request.

I enclose an organisation chart so that you can see the staff structure of the Scottish Parliament.

Your request has been handled in accordance with the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002 and the following information is supplied with this letter.

Question 1

The number of staff (full time equivalent) working in marketing, external communications and press offices.

The Media Relations Office (MRO) is responsible for promoting the wide-ranging work of the Scottish Parliament, providing journalists with up-to-date information on the work of the Committees; Chamber business; the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body (SPCB) which is responsible for ensuring that the Parliament is provided with the property, staff and services it requires; and the public engagement activities undertaken by the Parliament.

The office was restructured in summer 2008 and is made up of the following teams.

All members of the team are responsible for promotional work and media enquiries in their areas. All media officers also take part in a 24-hour on-call service to ensure media calls are dealt with at all times.

The office is also responsible for ensuring full access to all visiting media and assisting more than 250 accredited media who regularly report from the Parliament.

The office has 11 members of staff. This includes nine full-time posts and one job-share post (official photographer).

Question 2

The number of dedicated Freedom of Information officers (full time equivalent)

Freedom of information requests are co-ordinated by staff within the Enquiries Team in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre (SPICe).

SPICe provides facts, analysis, briefings, research, impartial expertise and news and current affairs to Parliamentary staff and to MSPs and their staff at Holyrood and in local offices. SPICe is part of the Research, Information and Reporting Group, which consists of SPICe and the Official Report.

There are 2 full time equivalent staff within the Enquiries Team whose core work relates to freedom of information, although other members of the team also assist as required. The Freedom of Information Officer works full time (37 hours per week) and the FOI Specialist works 30 hours per week. These staff members also undertake some other work within the Enquiries Team, including replying to general enquiries from MSPs and constituency staff and providing guidance, training and advice on data protection and copyright issues as well as being on the rota to staff the SPICe Information Desk. However, the core of the work for these two staff is administering the freedom of information process within the parliament, including providing guidance and advice for requesters; parliamentary staff, MSPs and MSP staff; providing training for SPCB and MSP staff; co-ordinating replies to freedom of information requests, reviews and appeals; and providing management information on freedom of information handling.

The SPCB's approach to freedom of information is decentralised and so there are many other staff across the parliament involved in responding to requests, reviews and appeals. These include staff in the Solicitors Office and the Media Relations Office as well as a comprehensive network of freedom of information action officers (35 in total) and decision takers (36 in total), usually consisting of 2 or more staff within each office who are responsible for supplying the information within their areas of expertise and in preparing the replies to freedom of information requests following guidance from the FOI Specialist and FOI Officer Additionally, a pool of senior staff are called upon to form review panels as required and a further ten staff form the FOI Steering Group which meets as required and supports the work of the FOI Specialist and the FOI Officer.

Question 3

Total staffing cost of marketing, external communications and press officers.

Salary and wages for the Media Relations Office are:

April-June 09/10 = £81,606.

08/9 = £340,786.

07/08 = £277,922.

06/07 = £276,953.

These staff costs are included in the costs provided at question 5.

Question 4

Total staffing cost of dedicated Freedom of Information staff

As freedom of information expertise is decentralised, it is not possible to supply a total staffing office cost for freedom of information staff. However, we can supply the salary band details for the two full time equivalent specialist staff working on freedom of information which is:

1 x grade 5 member of staff (£38, 084 - £45,855) pro rata

1 x grade 3 member of staff (£23,432 -£28,484)

Further information about staff salary and grades is available in Section 7 of the Staff Handbook which can be accessed at the following link.

http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/corporate/foi/SPhbook/spcb-hbook-07.htm

The number of dedicated freedom of information staff in the parliament has been consistent during the past three years

If you require fuller or different details regarding the cost of freedom of information staff in addition to salaries, please contact us.

Question 5

Total spending on marketing, external communications and press offices

The total annual costs of running the Media Relations Service from 2006/07 to the current financial year (which includes costs such as news release distribution service, press cuttings service, servicing and purchasing photographic equipment) are set out below.

Please note that these figures include salaries and wages, pension costs, social security, overtime and agency staff pay

April-June 09/10 = £167,241.

08/09 = £596,221.

07/08 = £577,009.

06/07 = £521,054.

Question 6

Total spending on freedom of information

We have interpreted your question as meaning that you would like the cost to our organisation of responding to freedom of information requests. The enclosed table sets out the cost of replying to freedom of information requests per year for the last three years. This information is based on the time recorded by freedom of information action officers and decision takers handling freedom of information requests up until Friday 7^th August 2009.

The time recorded does not include input by staff in SPICe, but we have provided information on these dedicated staff costs in our response to question 4. Nor does it include staff time for the Office of the Solicitor or the Media Relations Office because input in these areas is not necessarily specific to individual requests. The cost has been calculated at £35.39 per hour, the hourly rate of a grade 5 member of staff. The time and cost of handling reviews and appeals is not recorded.

If you require further information about spending on freedom of information other than the cost of progressing freedom of information requests please contact us.

Question 7

If the department produces a newsletter then the name of this publication and all associated costs.

Following on from our clarification letter, we are not sure if you require information about a freedom of information newsletter or if you would like details about a different sort of publication. In terms of freedom of information, we circulate by internal e-mail a freedom of information newsletter know as the “FOI Newsletter” and there are no publishing costs for this.

In keeping with our FOI procedures, this information may also be posted on the Parliament's disclosure log (usually within 24 hours). For further details on the Parliament's Disclosure Log and the information released under FOI, visit:

http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/corporate/FOI/

The supply of information under FOI does not constitute permission for its use in a way that would infringe copyright. Where relevant, you should obtain permission from the copyright holder before any such use.

We would welcome feedback or comment on how we handled your request. Please feel free to contact the FOI Specialist at the Scottish Parliament, Edinburgh, EH99 1SP or by e-mail at [Scottish Parliament request email]

Please find below Annex A, which explains how we handle FOI requests and reviews.

Yours sincerely

Claire Turnbull

FOI SpecialistAnnex A

REQUESTS MADE UNDER

THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION (SCOTLAND) ACT 2002

How we handle FOI requests

Information on how we handle FOI requests is available on the Parliament's website at: http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/corporate/foi/Makingrequest.htm

Alternatively, please contact the Parliament's Public Information Service to request a copy.

Review

If you are dissatisfied with the way in which we have dealt with your request for information, you can ask us to review our decision and actions. You must do this in writing (or other permanent form) within 40 working days of the date of this letter, stating the reasons for your dissatisfaction, and we will respond within 20 working days of receipt. A request for a review should be made to the FOI Specialist:

Post: FOI Specialist

The Scottish Parliament

Edinburgh

EH99 1SP

Telephone: 0131 348 6913 (RNID Typetalk calls welcome)

Textphone: 0131 348 3415

Fax: 0131 348 5378

E-mail: [Scottish Parliament request email]

Application to the Scottish Information Commissioner

If, on the outcome of any review, you are still dissatisfied, or if we are unable to resolve any other complaint, then you can contact the Scottish Information Commissioner:

Post: The Office of the Scottish Information Commissioner

Kinburn Castle

Doubledykes Road

St Andrews

Fife

KY16 9DS

Telephone: 01334 464610

Fax: 01334 464611

Website: www.itspublicknowledge.info

E-mail: [email address]

A decision by the Scottish Information Commissioner may be appealed, on a point of law, to the Court of Session.

Copyright in relation to information provided

The supply of information under FOI does not constitute permission for its use in a way that would infringe copyright. Where relevant, you should obtain permission from the copyright holder before any such use.

Feedback or comment

We would welcome feedback or comment on how we handled your request. Please contact the FOI Specialist.

Complaints

If you are dissatisfied with the way in which we dealt with your enquiry, then you may wish to raise the matter with the FOI Specialist.

How to contact us

Post: The Scottish Parliament

Edinburgh

EH99 1SP

Telephone: 0131 348 5000

0800 092 7500 (Public Enquiries)

0131 348 5395 (Ghàidhlig)

Textphone users can contact us on 0800 092 7100

We also welcome calls using the RNID Typetalk service.

Fax: 0131 348 5601

E-mail: [email address]