Question reference: S6W-24020
- Asked by: Rachael Hamilton, MSP for Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
- Date lodged: 10 January 2024
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Current status: Answered by Mairi McAllan on 18 January 2024
Question
To ask the Scottish Government (a) how many civil servants have worked on the Highly Protected Marine Areas proposal and subsequent consultation, broken down by pay band, and (b) what the total cost of civil service resources for work on the proposal and consultation has been, in each month since it was proposed.
Answer
A Highly Protected Marine Areas (HPMAs) team was set up within the Marine Directorate in September 2021. While the team contributed to other work programmes, it was principally engaged in the development of HPMA proposals, engaging with stakeholders and the delivery of the public consultation. Other officials from across the Scottish Government, both from within Marine Directorate and from other directorates, also provided input to the work on HPMAs, and did so as part of their normal duties and within normal working patterns. At its maximum, the HPMA team contained the following posts at different grades and roles:
- One official at grade C1
- Two officials at grade B3
- Two officials at grade B2
Civil Servants operate flexibly across a range of policies and programmes according to the specific requirements of their work at any given time. They do not, as a matter of course, record the proportion of their time spent working on particular matters. It is therefore not possible to provide a total staff cost or monthly break down in relation to the policy proposal for HPMAs.