§ Mr. BercowTo ask the Solicitor-General how many staff in her Department, agencies and non-departmental public bodies receive paid leave to undertake union duties; how many days they are allocated; and what has been the cost to public funds in each of the last four years. [36219]
§ The Solicitor-General[holding answer 25 February 2002]: In my own Department, the Legal Secretariat to the Law Officers, no staff receive paid leave to undertake trade union duties.
In the Departments for which the Attorney-General is responsible details are as follows:
Crown Prosecution Service
Facility time allocation in the Crown Prosecution Service is in the form of a block allowance to the two recognised trade unions and it is for the unions to allocate the allowance to their accredited representatives. In each of the last four years, the unions have received a block allowance of 2,674 days. The number of staff receiving paid leave to undertake union duties and the cost to public funds in each of the last four years are as follows:
£ Number of staff Cost 1997–98 74 175,984.46 1998–99 92 122,797.73 1999–2000 99 192,346.36 2000–01 129 213,683.55 The cost of facility time as a percentage of the total salary bill for the last four years has been a constant 0.1 per cent. (rounded up).
Treasury Solicitor's Department
Seven members of staff in the Treasury Solicitor's Department receive paid leave to undertake union duties. The total allocation is 40 days per year. The cost to the public funds in each of the last four years was as follows:
877W
- £9,943.79 in 1997–98
- £11,348.83 in 1998–99
- £11,689.57 in 1999–2000
- £12,096.37 in 2000–01.
Serious Fraud Office
No staff in the Serious Fraud Office receive paid leave to undertake trade union duties.