HC Deb 22 July 2004 vol 424 c493W
Mr. Andrew Turner

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport whether(a) her Department and (b) agencies for which it is responsible (i) have a set retirement age which applies to all or most personnel and (ii) have a maximum age beyond which applications for employment will not be considered; and what the age is in each case. [186090]

Mr. Caborn

In the Department for Culture Media and Sport the minimum retirement age for all staff is 60. The maximum retirement age for permanent staff outside the senior civil service is age 65. Age retirement for the senior civil service is currently age 60 but heads of departments have the flexibility to retain staff beyond age 60 if they judge it to be in the public interest. Applications for employment will be considered up to the maximum retirement age.

In the Royal Parks, the normal retirement age is 60. The Royal Parks do not stipulate a maximum age in their recruitment material and will consider applicants beyond the normal retirement age on an exceptional basis depending on the needs of the organisation.