How many core civil servants entered the redeployment process, broken down by Directorate-General, in each financial year from 2021-22 to 2…

When organisational change or restructuring leaves a core Scottish Government civil servant without a substantive post, they are given priority mover status and added to the priority movers list. This is the Scottish Government’s core Directors General redeployment process. The statistics below do not include Executive Agencies, Non Ministerial Offices, Non Departmental Public Bodies or any other public body. Priority movers continue to carry out meaningful work in their current business area, on their existing pay, while they are matched to a suitable permanent post at the same grade.They are supported by their line manager and an HR Business Partner, and every vacancy must be considered for a priority mover before it is advertised, internally or externally. If a post has not been found within 12 weeks, their case is formally reviewed, and it is reviewed again four weeks later. Individuals are removed from the list when they secure a permanent post or a temporary placement, retire or leave the organisation. Those who take up a temporary placement may return to the list when it ends.The Scottish Government does not hold a record of the number of core civil servants who entered the priority movers process in each financial year, broken down by Director General. Individuals are removed from the list once they secure a post therefore the Priority Mover list provides a current picture of those awaiting a post, rather than a record of all those who have been on it over time.Snapshots of the list are taken on a monthly basis and record the number of priority movers by Director General and grade, rather than named individuals. They show that the number of priority movers at any one time is low in proportion to the size of the organisation. In the months recorded, the average number of core civil servants on the list was 13 in 2023-24, 15 in 2024-25 and 31 in 2025-26. As at 1 November 2026, there were 29 Priority Movers within core Scottish Government.