§ Dr. IddonTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people from science and technology backgrounds have been seconded into the Civil Service in his Department in each of the last five years for which data are available. [138628]
§ Fiona MactaggartSecondments are part of the Interchange initiative, which promotes the exchange of people and good practice between the Civil Service and other organisations—public, private and voluntary. Interchange provides opportunities for civil servants to learn new skills, widen their experience and develop ideas, it also brings in skills and experiences from other sectors. 198 staff were seconded into the Home Office during the period 1 April 1998 to 31 March 2003. The Home Office records data on inward secondees according to their originating sector, but it does not specifically collate data on secondees with a science and technology background.
The annual number of inward secondments to the Home Office from outside the Civil Service was:
Year 1998–99 25 1999–2000 30 2000–2001 21 2001–2002 44 2002–2003 78