The running costs of the Scottish Government’s digital team have soared by 82 per cent in the past three years, according to new data.
Business minister Ivan McKee has revealed that the cost of operating the Digital Directorate has increased from £24.8 million in the 2019-20 financial year to an estimated £45.4m during the 2021-22 period. In 2020-21, the figure was £38.1m.
The increase in spending is above average compared to government directorates as a whole, which rose by 31 per cent over the course of three years, from £499.1m in 2019-20 and £586.5m in 2020-21, to a projection of £656m in 2021-22.
In response to a written question lodged by Conservative and Unionist MSP Craig Hoy, Mr McKee said that the increase in operating cost of the Scottish Government in recent years “reflects additional responsibilities” taken on from the UK Government.
He said: “The Scottish Government has taken on significant new powers, both raising its own revenues through devolved taxes and delivering public services such as social security and significant numbers of additional staff have been recruited to support these new responsibilities.”
Digital Health and Care, formerly known as the Directorate for Digital Reform and Service Engagement, also saw a substantial rise in spending, from £1.9m in 2019-20 to £3.9m the following year – a figure which is also projected for 2021-22.
Other directorates which have seen a considerable increase in operating costs include the Directorate for Mental Health and Social Care, which rose from £9.5m in 2019-20 to an estimated £17.9m in 2021-22. Likewise, Social Security saw its spending increase from £28.2m in 2019-20 to a predicted £38.6m in 2021-22.
The Scottish Government said the rise in spending on the Digital Directorate could also be explained by its increased use of social media during the Covid-19 pandemic to communicate effectively with the public.
A spokesperson said: “The last two years in particular have required government to communicate with the population of Scotland to support, inform and motivate people through the pandemic.
“The proportion of public engagement spend assigned to social media is growing every year as it continues to offer further channels and opportunities to reach key audiences cost effectively.”
Mr McKee’s written answer was published on the Scottish Parliament website on Wednesday 20 April after Mr Hoy, who represents South Scotland, asked the Scottish Government for a breakdown of the running costs for its directorates over the last five years.
Due to a change in the way that figures are reported – implemented in 2018-19 – Mr McKee said he could not provide “comparable information” over the last five years, and only provided figures for the past three years.
This is because the administration portfolio budget, which covered the costs of the core administration, including staffing, required to support the Scottish Government, was removed from the Scottish budget in 2019-20. Operating costs have since been aligned with the portfolio budgets that they support.
The new approach, which was designed to make Scottish Government spending “more transparent”, replaced the dual system of administration and portfolio budgets both funding operating costs.
Mr McKee said: “The change to reporting of operating costs means that we are unable to provide comparable information over the last five years.
“We can provide Directorate-level detail for the last three year financial years.
“However, there have been organisational changes each year, meaning that Directorates are not necessarily comparable year on year.”
Mr McKee added that the exact spending figures for the financial year from 2021-22 will be available in mid-June, when provisional outturn is reported to Parliament.
Commenting on the figures, Mr Hoy said that taxpayers will be “appalled at the ever-increasing sums of money” being spent on directorates and “misplaced SNP priorities.
He said: “This is crucial money that could and should be going to frontline services.
“The public would far rather see money spent on more nurses, doctors and teachers rather than more civil servants in an already bloated Scottish Government.”
Related posts
Interviews
Comment
Please mind the gap… or healthcare may fall
Imagine sharing a lengthy train journey with others. From beginning to end, imagine how often you might hear ‘mind the gap’ messages about embarking and disembarking safely. Picture how navigating…
Women Lead: My journey from Dragons’ Den to Silicon Valley
Following her appearance on Dragons’ Den, Sheila Hogan, serial entrepreneur, founder and chief executive of digital legacy vault, Biscuit Tin, shares her experience of her time in the Den and…
Look anywhere – the future is ‘aged tech’. But Scotland needs to be more adventurous
Scottish Care, as the representative body of independent social care providers of care home, care at home and housing support services, has been working over several years with colleagues in…
Women Lead: Engineer turned entrepreneur
We are always fascinated by other people’s stories. It’s how we connect, grow and learn from each other. Until very recently I always felt like I didn’t have a story to tell. Who…
‘Women – together we will change the dynamic in tech’
I was inspired to start a career in technology when personal computers were in their infancy and the internet decades away. My childhood dream of becoming a scientist was shaped by…
It’s time to change the future of tech apprenticeships – and we need your help
In his latest exclusive column for Futurescot, Ross Tuffee, chair of the Skills Development Scotland (SDS) Digital Economy Skills Group, calls on tech employers to get involved in shaping the…
What AI difference a year makes
Amazingly, it’s been one year since the publication of Scotland’s AI Strategy. And what a year it has been. Demanding but rewarding, with good progress made and great foundations laid…
International Women’s Day: It’s time to harness power of women in technology
As we celebrate International Women’s Day, I hope to be part of a future where barriers that prevent women from competing on a level playing field in the work environment…