What its position is on MSP pay for its ministers for 2025-26, and whether the ministerial element of pay will remain frozen.

Since 1 April 2009, Scottish Ministers have declined to accept their full salary entitlement, freezing it at 2008-09 levels.Between the start of the pay freeze on 1 April 2009 and 31 March 2025, this has resulted Scottish Ministers making over £2.2 million available for public spending from their own pay packets.The freeze of the Ministerial element of pay at 2008-09 levels will remain in place for 2025-26, recognising the wider economic and fiscal pressures as well as the restraints placed on public sector pay.The Ministerial element of pay will therefore remain at 2008-09 levels as shown in the following table:Junior Minister£26,068Cabinet Secretary£41,618First Minister£80,224Lord Advocate£54,371Solicitor General£39,316From 1 April 2025, the MSP element of Ministers’ salaries will be equalised with that of MSPs who are not currently serving Ministers, providing parity in line with their roles. This has been set for all MSPs at £74,507.The Scottish Parliament is responsible for the payment of salaries for MSPs and members of the Scottish Government. These arrangements are made under the Scottish Parliament Salaries Scheme. The rules of the Scottish Parliament Salaries Scheme do not give the power to withhold an annual increase from the gross salary entitlement. To achieve the required reduction, the pay increase to which Ministers and Law Officers would have been entitled are deducted from their net salary and paid direct to the Scottish Government to be made available for public spending.The Scottish Parliament’s Pay and Pensions Team will be formally notified of this change and the commencement date of 1 April. They will then complete the relevant calculations and issue new mandates to all Ministers confirming the updated deduction value.