§ Mr. McMasterTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) how many Scottish Office staff have been(a) temporarily transferred or seconded and (b), given extended leave to take up posts relating to the census;
(2) if any Scottish Office staff temporarily transferred or seconded to the census are in receipt of salaries or payments from the Scottish Office;
(3) how many Scottish Office staff have been given extended leave to take up posts relating to the census;
(4) if any staff have been seconded to posts relating to the census; and on what basis their posts have been temporarily covered.
§ Mr. Michael ForsythThe processing of the Scottish returns for the 1991 census is being undertaken by staff of the General Register Office (Scotland). At the peak period, a total of 150 staff will be employed at the regional processing office, Hillington. Of these, 21 will be staff transferred temporarily from other duties and the remainder will be casual appointees. In addition, 85 staff in GRO(S) in Edinburgh, of whom 15 are casual staff, are currently assigned to census work. The costs of all these staff are met by GRO(S).
A further 20 Scottish Office staff have been lent to the Office of Population Censuses and Surveys for work relating to the processing of the England and Wales returns for the 1991 census. These staff are being paid by OPCS. Arrangements have been made for existing Scottish Office staff to cover the resultant vacancies on level transfer or temporary promotion.
No Scottish Office staff have been given extended leave to take up census-related posts.
§ Mr. McMasterTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) if any staff of Scottish health boards have been seconded to posts relating to the census; and on what basis their posts have been temporarily covered;
(2) if Scottish health boards have incurred any costs due to staff being transferred or seconded to take up temporary posts relating to the census;
(3) how many staff of Scottish health boards have been given extended leave to take up posts relating to the census;
(4) what payments have been made to Scottish health boards for staff temporarily transferred or seconded to assist in the census;
(5) if any staff of Scottish health boards temporarily transferred or seconded to posts relating to the census, are in receipt of salary or payments from these health boards.
§ Mr. Michael ForsythStaff working in Scotland on the 1991 census of population are employed by the Registrar General for Scotland or, in the case of most of the staff at98W the Hillington processing office, by the Registrar General for England and Wales. No general arrangements for transfer or secondment of staff from Scottish health boards have been made and no payments to the boards for this purpose are being made.
Information on agreements between Scottish health boards and individual members of staff relating to leave and payments of salary is not held centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.