THE UK Government has cut the number of civil servants working in Scotland by more than 6000 in a decade, new figures have shown.

The total number of civil servants working for reserved UK departments in Scotland has been cut from 31,690 in March, 2011 to 25,380 in March, 2021, a drop of 6310 jobs and almost a fifth (19.9%) of the workforce.

In contrast, the number of Scottish Government civil servants in Scotland has risen from 17,140 in 2011 to 22,210 some 10 years later, an increase of 29.6%.

Figures show that the percentage of job cuts in reserved departments in Scotland has almost been double that of the rest of the UK.

Whilst the number of civil servants in the rest of the UK has reduced by almost 11%, in Scotland, it is almost 20%.

READ MORE: Independence 'will create 35,000 new civil service jobs’ across Scotland

Across reserved UK Government departments in the Civil Service, there have been 33,928 jobs cut in the 10 years from 2011 to 2021, a decrease of 10.9%.

The hardest-hit UK Government departments in Scotland have been the Department of Work and Pensions (DWP), HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) and the Ministry of Defence (MoD). All of these departments saw far greater job losses in Scotland compared with the rest of the UK.

The DWP lost 3870 of its Scottish workers, a decrease of 30% over 10 years; HMRC saw their Scottish workforce drop by 2150 (21.7%), and MoD workers north of the Border fell by 1350 (24.8%).

There have been cuts across the UK in these departments but the figures for the rest of the UK are proportionately less than in Scotland.

READ MORE: SNP back motion to create civil service jobs away from central belt post indy

On the other hand, the Cabinet Office - officially described as "supporting the Prime Minister" - has increased its staff by almost 300% since 2011.

At the end of March, 2011, there were 2630 jobs within the Cabinet Office and at the same point in 2021, that number had risen to 10,450, an increase of 297%. Of the current Cabinet Office jobs, just 0.76% are in Scotland.

The National:

The SNP's deputy Westminster leader Kirsten Oswald MP (above) said: "This is yet another example of empty rhetoric from Westminster politicians. Despite boasts of how many jobs they control in Scotland, in the period of austerity, the Westminster government chose to disproportionately slash jobs north of the Border. 

"The Scottish Government has safeguarded public service jobs whilst the Westminster government slashed Scottish public service jobs left, right and centre, exposing precisely where their priorities lie. 

“These aren’t just numbers but ordinary people’s livelihoods that also cost the Scottish economy in terms of spending power – an estimated loss of £200m to the Scottish economy.

“Meanwhile the department that directly supports the Prime Minister has ballooned in numbers by an astonishing 300%. It looks like the Tories think they can do what they like to Scotland and get away with it. 

READ MORE: UK Government civil servants told not to mention 'Brexit' in new style guide

“This is also a cursory lesson for Scottish Labour whose opposition to Westminster Tory policies in Scotland remains at best apathetic and at worse an echo for the Tory party. In 2014 they claimed HMRC jobs would be threatened with a ‘Yes’ vote. Yet only just a year later thousands of HMRC job cuts were announced after a ’No’ vote they helped deliver for a Tory government.

“Only with the full powers of independence and as an equal partner to our neighbours can Scotland protect our public servants, our public services and our economy from a Westminster government that doesn’t work for Scotland.”