HC Deb 09 September 2003 vol 410 cc23-4WS
The Secretary of State for Scotland (Mr. Alistair Darling)

I have agreed to proposals by the Head of the Scotland Office, in consultation with the Permanent Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs, for re-organising the Scotland Office. These will result in the number of posts reporting to me reducing from 96 to 65.

The reduction of 31 posts has already partly been achieved through transfers of responsibility (mainly Friends of Scotland) to the Scottish Executive and through not filling vacancies. Further reductions will be achieved by staff returning to the Scottish Executive or by redeployment with the Department for Constitutional Affairs. Individual staff will be consulted about their own future.

I have also agreed that the remaining staff based in Scotland should be concentrated in the Scotland Office headquarters at 1 Melville Crescent, Edinburgh. The Scotland Office accommodation at Meridian Court, Glasgow will be given up.

Thirty five legal and administrative staff will, in addition, continue to report separately to the Advocate-General for Scotland. The total of 100 posts compares with an agreed staffing level of 131 for the Scotland Office and the Advocate-General's staff together at 11 June 2003. The Advocate-General's staff in Edinburgh will continue to be based at Victoria Quay. The Scotland Office headquarters in London will continue to be at Dover House, Whitehall.

The target date to complete these changes is 31 December 2003. Total savings to Scotland Office running costs arising from both the reduction and relocation of staff will amount to approximately £1.7 million next year. In line with the statement of funding policy agreed between the United Kingdom Government and the Scottish Executive, the savings realised will reduce the Scotland Office's total call on the Scottish assigned budget by an equivalent amount and will therefore be available to the Scottish Executive.

The numbers and organisation of Scotland Office staff will be kept under review in the normal way in the light of workload and any further changes in responsibilities.

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