§ Mr. Laurence RobertsonTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment how many members of his staff have been made redundant in the last 12 month period(a) voluntarily and (b) compulsorily; if his Department has retained outplacement consultants to advise staff made redundant; what is the average expenditure per member of staff advised on outplacement; in what circumstances his Department makes payments above the statutory minimum to members of staff made redundant (i) voluntarily and (ii) compulsorily; and if he will make a statement on his policy on such payments. [3131]
50W
§ Dr. HowellsNo members of staff have been made either voluntarily or compulsorily redundant from this Department (including the Employment Service) over the last 12 months. However, during that period 2,089 people have taken voluntary early retirement or voluntary early severance. Outplacement consultants were retained to advise them on starting a new beginning. The average expenditure per member of staff advised was –325.
All payments made to staff were fully in accordance with the Civil Service Compensation Scheme provisions of the Principal Civil Service Pension Scheme. Similar provisions would have applied, should staff had been made redundant, in accordance with their terms and conditions of employment.