§ Mr. McMasterTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list the occasions on which his Department has employed executive search agencies to recruit for direct or indirect employment in each of the past five years, including for employment in agencies, trusts, quangos and other arms-length bodies which are funded by his Department; what was the value of each assignment; and if he will make a statement. [28564]
§ Mr. LangThe occasions on which my Department employed agencies to conduct executive searches are set out. The value of individual contracts is a matter of commercial confidentiality, but the total cost was approximately £300,000. The list does not include occasions when such agencies have conducted open recruitment competitions without search on behalf of my Department.
My Department commissions executive searches when it considers that the particular post will be difficult to fill and where suitable candidates are likely to be in current employment and therefore may not be expected to respond to press advertisement of the open recruitment competition.
Year Appointment 1991 — 1992 Director of Finance, Scottish Prison Service 1993 Chief Executive, NHS management executive 1994 Director of Human Resources NHS management executive Director of Finance, NHS management executive Director of Finance, NHS management executive (re-run competition) Chief Executives (3), new water authorities 1995 (to date) Director of Finance and Planning, East of Scotland Water Authority Director of Human Resources, East of Scotland Water Authority Legal Adviser, East of Scotland Water Authority Director of Operations, North of Scotland Water Authority Director of Human Resources, North of Scotland Water Authority Head of Public Affairs, North of Scotland Water Authority Director of Finance, North of Scotland Water Authority Legal Adviser, North of Scotland Water Authority