§ Mr. Proctorasked the hon. Member for Berwick-upon-Tweed, as representing the House of Commons Commission, when the staffing inspector's proposals concerning the grading of staff and officers in the six Departments of the House will be discussed with the appropriate head of Department; when the inspector expects to submit his report to the House of Commons Commission; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. BiffenI have been asked to reply.
The House of Commons Commission has recently asked the staff inspector to submit to it in December the structure reports on all grades up to higher executive officer. Similar reports on grades above HEO are to be laid before it by Easter next year. It is the Commission's hope that the whole review process will be completed by June 1985. The staff inspector's guidelines provide for the reports to be submitted for observations to heads of Departments (and other parties concerned) before implementation.
§ Mr. Proctorasked the hon. Member for Berwick-upon-Tweed, as representing the House of Commons Commission, what are the professional qualifications which enable the staffing inspector and his two assistants to compile the grading review of the staff and officers in the six Departments of the House on which they are currently engaged; what experience they have in this field; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. Biffen[pursuant to his reply, 18 June 1984]: The staff inspector appointed by the Commission to carry out a grading review of the staff of the House has had 20 years experience in the practice of staff inspection, job evaluation and allied techniques at all levels, and in a variety of disciplines, in the public service. For four years he had close contact with similar work in the private sector. He was responsible for the training of staff inspectors throughout the Civil Service and of the central job evaluation team. He is a graduate in law and a Fellow of the British Institute of Management.
The assistant to the staff inspector was previously in the Civil Service, where he was a staff inspector for five years.
The second assistant has had many years experience of research activities in the private sector, Ministry of Defence, the Cabinet Office Secretariat, royal commissions and Ministers' private offices.