HC Deb 23 July 2004 vol 424 cc691-2W
Mr. Andrew Turner

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office whether(a) his Department and (b) agencies for which it is responsible (i) have a set retirement age which applies to all or most personnel

Equal pay Sex discrimination Race discrimination Disability discrimination Unfair dismissal
1997 0 2 0 0 0
1998 0 0 0 0 0
1999 0 0 0 0 0
2000 0 0 1 1 0
2001 0 0 1 1 2
2002 0 11 0 0 1
2003 0 0 0 0 21
1 Same case as the one originally brought in 1997. The total cost of contesting the case is recorded in 2002.
2 Case is on-going.
Notes:
1. Figures given are for current Cabinet Office agencies and the year the case was settled.
2. The figures are supplied by the Treasury Solicitor's Department, which is responsible for litigation on behalf of the Cabinet Office.

Total cost involved in contesting claims in each year and the number of settlements is shown in the table.

Number of cost awards made:
(i)

Respondents

 (ii)

Applicants

 Costs of

contesting

claims (£)

 Number of

settlements
1997 0 0 1,674 0
1998 0 0 0 0
1999 0 0 0 0
2000 0 0 4,055 0
2001 0 0 15,800 1
2002 0 0 6,480 1
2003 0 0 4,000 1

Notes:

1. Figures given are for current Cabinet Office agencies and the year the case was settled.

2. The figures are supplied by the Treasury Solicitor's Department, which is responsible for litigation on behalf of the Cabinet Office.

and (ii) have a maximum age beyond which applications for employment will not be considered; and what the age is in each case. [186086]

Mr. Alexander

The Cabinet Office and its agencies (Government Car Despatch Agency and Central Office for Information) have flexible retirement and recruitment age policies.

The normal retirement age is 60 except for industrial staff in GCDA where the normal age is 65.

There is no set maximum age beyond which employment will not be considered.