§ Mr. BercowTo ask the Solicitor-General how many agency workers have been employed by the Department in each of the last two years; and at what cost to public funds. [115211]
§ The Solicitor-General[holding answer 10 April 2003]:
Crown Prosecution Service
The Crown Prosecution Service does not keep centralised records of the number of agency workers employed. It would incur disproportionate cost to collect this information. The cost to public funds of agency workers employed by the Crown Prosecution Service was £2.48 million in financial year 2001–02 and £2.42 million in 2002–03.
Serious Fraud Office
The Serious Fraud Office employed 116 agency workers in 2001–02, at a cost of £473,421. 120 agency workers were employed in 2002–03 at a cost of £394,754.
These figures include general administrative staff as well as accountants and lawyers.
HM Crown Prosecution Service Inspectorate
HM Crown Prosecution Service Inspectorate expenditure for agency staff in financial year 2001–02 and 2002–03 was £51,125.25 and £17,114.97 respectively. The number of agency staff employed in 2001–02 and 2002–03 was 8 and 12, respectively.
Neither the Treasury Solicitor's Department or the Legal Secretariat to the Law Officers hold this information centrally.