§ Mr. Austin Mitchell:To ask the Secretary of State for Health when his Department's electronic recruitment project will start to operate; what sums have been invested in the system; what savings are expected in the NHS recruitment advertising budget; what the reach of the system will be in numerical terms; and whether the NHS will continue to use the print media and other forms of advertising after the electronic system is introduced. [141205]
§ Mr. Hutton:The NHS Careers jobs board pilot (www.nhs.uk/jobs) was launched on 1 December. The cost of the service will be £6 million over a five-year contract. Savings in advertising costs are estimated to be around £24 million a year once national rollout has been achieved. This estimate is based upon a 75 per cent. take-up over three years. The service will be voluntary and all savings will be directed to local patient care. The National Health Service will continue to use a wide range of media in order to attract the best candidates.