§ Mr. Rentonasked the Secretary of State for the Environment whether his Department has employed "headhunters" in the last 12 months for recruitment to jobs that are within his control; if so, what fees have been paid to the "headhunters"; for what jobs they have sought applicants; and how many jobs they have filled.
§ Mr. HeseltineMy Department has used "headhunters" on two occasions in the past 12 months to fill the following posts:
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- i. The chairmen for the Southern and Anglian regional water authorities.
- ii. The chief executive post of the Property Services Agency.
In addition, my Department is currently employing a firm of "headhunters" to handle the response from advertisements for chairmen of the Severn-Trent, Wessex and Northumbrian regional water authorities.
To maintain commercial confidentiality, it is not the practice to divulge individual fees paid.