To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what the (a) name, (b) professional and academic qualifications and (c) relevant experience are of the chief accounting officer of his Department. (76709)

For administrative purposes, the Scotland Office is within the Department for Constitutional Affairs (DCA) and the Permanent Secretary, DCA, is the Accounting Officer. The Head of the Scotland Office, Dr. James Wildgoose, is an Additional Accounting Officer and is responsible for financial and other Accounting Officer activities in the Office. He does not hold a professional accountancy qualification but has full access to advice from professionally qualified staff in both the DCA and the Scottish Executive.