HC Deb 26 February 2002 vol 380 cc1230-1W
Mr. Burstow

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many new entrants to the civil service employed in his Department in each of the last five years were aged 50 and over. [32886]

Angela Eagle

[holding answer 6 February 2002]: Information on the number of new entrants to the civil service aged 50 and over who joined the Home Office and its agencies is set out in the table. It has increased substantially since 1997 and the Home Office has recently changed its aged retirement policy to allow staff below the senior civil service to remain in work beyond the age of 60.

1997 1998 1999 2000 2001
Home Office 28 35 109 244 204
Forensic Science Service 4 8 11 7 21
United Kingdom Passport Service 4 32 34 73 54
Prison Service 382 502 481 480 577
Fire Service College1 2 7 2 2 4
Total 420 584 637 806 860
1 Responsibility for the Fire Service College transferred to Department for Transport, London and the Regions (DTLR) in June 2001.