HC Deb 09 May 1988 vol 133 c17
66. Mr. Mans

To ask the Minister for the Civil Service what new initiatives have been introduced to encourage recruitment to the Civil Service.

The Minister of State, Privy Council Office (Mr. Richard Luce)

Examples of a number of initiatives aimed at attracting as wide a field of qualified candidates as possible are given in the Civil Service Commissioners' annual report for 1987, which was placed in the Library of the House on 20 April.

Mr. Mans

I thank my right hon. Friend for that answer. What efforts are being made to recruit people into the Civil Service at a later stage who have already benefited from careers outside the Civil Service? Will he say what experience they can offer if they are recruited into the Civil Service at that age?

Mr. Luce

I am grateful to my right hon. Friend for raising that question. It is important to encourage into the Civil Service people who have experience in other areas. A recent direct entry competition for grade seven in the service has led to the recruitment of a number of people in their late 30s and early 40s. Many of those people have had experience in local government or education, and at least 50 per cent. of them have had experience in commerce and industry. That is something that I welcome.

Dr. Marek

What will be the effect on recruitment to the Civil Service of the recently announced 40 per cent. drop in attendance figures for the Natural History museum?

Mr. Luce

That is a good try. I am now wearing a different hat and it is that of the Civil Service. Recruitment and retention in the Civil Service are broadly satisfactory, but there are areas in which it is difficult to recruit people with specific skills and in specialist areas and, of course, we have a regional problem. It is true that in the south-east, in particular, we have acute recruiting difficulties. As the hon. Gentleman knows, my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer is seeking to contain that by the introduction of more flexible pay and allowances for the London area.