Murdo Fraser: “This is further proof of Scotland’s bloated public sector being completely out of control under the SNP.”

These figures confirm it is just lip service when SNP ministers have pledged to get serious about reining in their growing army of civil servants.

They clearly still don’t have the stomach for taking the tough but necessary decisions to ensure that the civil service is delivering value for money for taxpayers.

Historic Environment Scotland has lurched from one crisis to the next for years, and these latest developments make it impossible to dismiss the problems as isolated incidents.

Ivan McKee as the minister responsible should come clean as to why these numbers have increased and if he is doing any work to bring staffing costs under control.