To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many (a) press and (b) communications officers his Department employed in each of the last 10 years. (182509)

The Scotland Office was established on 1 July 1999. The number of press officers is published in the Office’s annual reports.

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how much his Department paid in bonuses to press and communication officers in each of the last 10 years; and what the (a) highest and (b) lowest such bonus was in each of those years. (182725)

The Scotland Office was established on 1 July 1999. Staff in the Office are on loan from the Scottish Executive (SE) and the Ministry of Justice (MOJ) who each have bonus schemes, part of which relate to annual performance appraisal. The Scotland Office does not hold information on bonus payments under these annual performance appraisal systems. Under the Special Bonus Scheme of the SE and the Reward and Recognition Scheme of the MOJ, the Office may also directly authorise bonus payments for special effort, achievement and commitment; since 1999, the Office has made one bonus payment of £150 to a press officer.