Chamber and committees

I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-36766 on 17 November 2010. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament''s website, the search facility for which can be found at: http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/Apps2/Business/PQA/Default.aspx.

I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-36766 on 17 November 2010. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament''s website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/Apps2/Business/PQA/Default.aspx.

I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-36766 on 17 November 2010. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament''s website, the search facility for which can be found at:

http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/Apps2/Business/PQA/Default.aspx.

I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-36766 on 17 November 2010. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament''s website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/Apps2/Business/PQA/Default.aspx.

I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-36766 on 17 November 2010. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament''s website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/Apps2/Business/PQA/Default.aspx.

I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-36766 on 17 November 2010. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament''s website, the search facility for which can be found at: http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/Apps2/Business/PQA/Default.aspx.

I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-36766 on 17 November 2010. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament''s website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/Apps2/Business/PQA/Default.aspx.

I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-36766 on 17 November 2010. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament''s website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/Apps2/Business/PQA/Default.aspx.

I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-36766 on 17 November 2010. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament''s website, the search facility for which can be found at: http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/Apps2/Business/PQA/Default.aspx.

Table 1 details the number of full time equivalent staff and their grade currently deployed in the following teams: Employability and Tackling Poverty Team, Freedom of Information Unit, National Conversation, Referendum and Elections Division, Media Monitoring Unit, Saltire Prize External Communications Unit, Events and Speechwriting Division and the Protocol and UK Relations Unit.

Table 1: Total Number of Full-Time Equivalent Staff Deployed by Grade as of 30 September 2010

Name of Team	A3	A4	B1	B2	B3	Fast Stream	C1	C2	C3	SCS	Contingent Temporary	Total
Employability and Tackling Poverty Teams	1	1	4	6	5	0	3	0	0	1	7	28
Freedom of Information Unit	0	0	1	3.9	2	0	1	0	0	0	0	7.9
National Conversation, Referendum and Elections Division	0	1	1	1	3	1	1	3	0	1	1	13
Media Monitoring Unit	0	0	3	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	4
Saltire Prize External Communications Unit	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Events and Speechwriting Division	Team no longer exists.											0
Protocol and UK Relations Unit	2	0	1	2	3	0	0	1	0	1	1	11

Additional Information for table 1

Numbers of staff deployed includes all permanent and temporary staff.

The Events and Speechwriting Division has been rationalised and no longer exists. As of 1 November 2010, 8 full time Event Officers supported by 3 full time assistants who are responsible for planning, delivering and managing Ministerial events and high-profile international engagement, and one full time Speechwriter are based in the Strategy and Ministerial Support Directorate.

Tables 2, 3 and 4 detail the number of full time equivalent staff and their grade employed as at 31 March (a) 2010, (b) 2009 and (c) 2008 in the following teams: Employability and Tackling Poverty Team, Freedom of Information Unit, National Conversation, Referendum and Elections Division, Media Monitoring Unit, Saltire Prize External Communications Unit, Events and Speechwriting Division and the Protocol and UK Relations Unit.

Table 2: Number of Full-Time Equivalent Staff Employed as at 31 March 2010

Name of Team	A3	A4	B1	B2	B3	Fast Stream	C1	C2	C3	SCS	Total
Employability and Tackling Poverty Teams	Team created 2010-11										0
Freedom of Information Unit	0	0	1	3	1.8	0	0	0	0	0	5.8
National Conversation, Referendum and Elections Division	0	1	1	1	3	1	2	3	0	1	13
Media Monitoring Unit	0	0	3	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	3
Saltire Prize External Communications Unit.	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	0	0	0	1
Events and Speechwriting Division	4	0	3	2	4	0	2	0	0	1	16
Protocol and UK Relations Unit	2	0	1	2	3	0	1	1	0	1	11

Table 3: Number of Full-Time Equivalent Staff Employed as at 31 March 2009

Name of Team	A3	A4	B1	B2	B3	Fast Stream	C1	C2	C3	SCS	Total
Employability and Tackling Poverty Teams	Team Created 2010-11										0
Freedom of Information Unit	0	0	1	3	1.8	0	0	0.8	0	0	6.6
National Conversation, Referendum and Elections Division.	0	0	2	1	0	1	1	3	0	2	10
Media Monitoring Unit	0	0	3	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	3
Saltire Prize External Communications Unit	0	0	1	0	0	0	1	0	0	0	2
Events and Speechwriting Division	Team Created 2009-10										0
Protocol and UK Relations Unit	Team Created 2009-10										0

Table 4: Number of Full-Time Equivalent Staff Employed as at 31 March 2008

Name of Team	A3	A4	B1	B2	B3	Fast Stream	C1	C2	C3	SCS	Total
Employability and Tackling Poverty Teams	Team Created 2010-11										0
Freedom of Information Unit	0	0	1	2.8	2	0	1	0.6	0	0	7.5
National Conversation, Referendum and Elections Division	Team Created 2008/09										0
Media Monitoring Unit	0	0	3	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	3
Saltire Prize External Communications Unit	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Events and Speechwriting Division	Team Created 2009-10										0
Protocol and UK Relations Unit	Team Created 2009-10										0

Additional Information for tables 2, 3 and 4

Numbers of staff employed includes only permanent staff and those on a fixed term contract.

Protocol and UK Relations division was formed at the start of 2009-10 as part of a wider restructuring; there are therefore no comparable figures for 2007-08 and 2008-09.

The National Conversation, Elections and Referendum Division was established (via several interim groupings of staff) during 2008-09. The Division undertakes project work, with membership varying accordingly. Staff numbers peaked at 17 in summer 2009 (2 Senior Civil Servants, 3 C2, 2 C1, 4 B3, 1 BFS, 2 B1, 1 A4 and 2 temporary staff).

There are currently 28 people in the Employability and Tackling Poverty Team. These staff came from the Social Inclusion division and from the Employability and Skills Division.

The Events and Speechwriting Division only existed (as part of Communications Directorate) for the financial year 2009-2010. Prior to that, the events management work was organised differently (largely in what was then called the External Support Division, which was split up in a wider restructuring at the start of 2009-10, but International Division had responsibility for international visits). The business of event management and visit support was managed differently in the past and has been subject to review and rationalisation over time, and for these reasons a comparison is not possible.