Senior staff pay and expenses

Request salaries, bonuses, and expenses for the highest-paid staff.

Public bodies must account for how they spend public money, including what they pay their most senior staff. This information is sometimes published in annual accounts, but often not broken down in useful detail.

Dear [AUTHORITY NAME], Please provide the following information for [FINANCIAL YEAR e.g. 2024-25]. For each employee earning above [THRESHOLD e.g. £80,000] per year, please provide: 1. Their job title. 2. Their total salary. 3. Any bonuses or performance-related payments received. 4. The total expenses claimed. I am not asking for the names of individuals, only job titles. I would prefer to receive this by email. Yours faithfully, [YOUR NAME]
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Who to send it to#

Any Scottish public authority: council, health board, or government agency. Find the right authority on the Commissioner’s directory of Scottish public authorities. You can also send your request through WhatDoTheyKnow, which publishes responses online.

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Tips#

  • Use a salary threshold rather than asking for “all staff”. £80,000 is a reasonable starting point for senior roles.
  • Ask for job titles, not names. This avoids unnecessary personal data debates and still gives you what you need.
  • If expenses figures are high, you can follow up with a separate request for itemised expense claims for specific roles.