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FOI/202500495803 · FOI · unclear

Annual spend on consultants by Social Security Scotland: FOI release

Published
2026-02-18
Received
2025-11-21
Responded
2025-12-22
Directorate
Topic
Money and tax, Public sector
Exemptions
None detected

Information requested

Request for information 1:

The total annual spend on consultants by Social Security Scotland in each of the last five financial years (2020-21, 2021-22, 2022-23, 2023-24, 2024-25).

Request for information 2:

A breakdown of this spending by contract or project, if possible:

1. Supplier name 2. Purpose of the work 3. Total cost of the contract 4. Whether the contract was extended

Response

Request for information 1:

Please see extracts from the annual accounts for financial years 2023-24 and 2024-25.

Annual Report and Accounts 2024-25 – Page 63 (Table 17)

Table 17

External Consultancy 2024-25 £million Deloitte LLP 0.403 Ipsos MORI UK 0.005 QI Consulting Limited 0.005 Total 0.413

Annual Report and Accounts 2023-24 – page 54 (Table 16)

Table 16

External Consultancy 2023-24 £million Merritt-Harrison Catering Consultancy 0.003 NCC Group Security Services Limited 0.119 Commissum Associates Limited 0.067 Total 0.189

Please see response to annual spend on consultants for financial years 2020-21, 2021-22 and 2022- 23.

Consultancies spend for 2022-23

External Consultancy 2022-23 £million Merritt-Harrison Catering Consultancy 0.009

Please note all figures have been rounded to the nearest £1,000.

Consultancies spend for 2020-21 and 2021-22

There was no consultancy spend recorded for the above years.

Request for information 2:

A breakdown of this spending by contract or project

Supplier name - Deloitte LLP Purpose of the work – Digital Advisory Services Total cost of the contract – £403,000 Whether the contract was extended – No

Supplier name – Ipsos MORI UK Purpose of the work – Research Total cost of the contract – £5,000 Whether the contract was extended – No

Supplier name – QI Consulting Limited Purpose of the work –Assurance and Advisory Services Total cost of the contract – £5,000 Whether the contract was extended – Yes

Supplier name – Merritt-Harrison Catering Consultancy Purpose of the work – Catering Advisory Services Total cost of the contract – £12,000 Whether the contract was extended – Yes

Supplier name – NCC Group Security Services Limited Purpose of the work – IT Security Assurance Total cost of the contract – £119,000 Whether the contract was extended – No

Supplier name – Commissum Associates Limited Purpose of the work – IT Security Assurance Total cost of the contract – £67,000 Whether the contract was extended – Yes

About FOI

The Scottish Government is committed to publishing all information released in response to Freedom of Information requests. View all FOI responses at https://www.gov.scot/foi-responses.

Contact Please quote the FOI reference Central Correspondence Unit Email: contactus@gov.scot Phone: 0300 244 4000 The Scottish Government St Andrew's House Regent Road Edinburgh EH1 3DG

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