HC Deb 10 July 2002 vol 388 cc953-4W
Sandra Gidley

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many part-and full-time employees under contract from temping agencies work within her Department; and how much was spent on temporary staff(a) in total and (b) as a percentage of the total staffing budget in her Department and its predecessors for each of the last five years for which figures are available. [66743]

Mr. Morley

[holding answer 5 July 2002]: The number of employees working under contract from temping agencies is not held centrally by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

The cost of staff employed under contract from temping agencies for each of the last five years is shown in the table. For the years 1997–98 to 2000–01, the amounts shown are for the former MAFF only. Costs relating to the parts of the former Department for Environment, Transport and the Regions that transferred to DEFRA could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Cost of temping agency staff (£) Percentage of total staff costs
1997–98 995,205 n/a
1998–99 1,468,559 1.03
1999–2000 1,792,277 1.20
2000–01 3,645,881 2.26
2001–02 906,899 0.41