§ Mr. RogersTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many senior officials in the Ministry of Defence procurement executive have had previous long-term experience of working in the defence industry or any other manufacturing industry.
§ Mr. Alan ClarkThe information requested is not readily available. The majority of the senior staff in the procurement executive are career civil servants and comparatively few have worked for a prolonged period in industry. However, the commercial experience of staff in the procurement executive is steadily increasing as a result of a substantial programme of interchange with industry and through increased efforts to recruit those who have worked in the defence and other industries.
§ Mr. RogersTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether he has any plans to appoint more civilians who have had long-term experience working in defence-related industries to the procurement executive.
§ Mr. Alan ClarkYes. We are already running continuous recruitment campaigns seeking to fill posts at the lower and middle management levels of the procurement executive with people who have worked in industry. At the more senior level, we shall shortly be seeking to recruit two or three project managers with industrial experience.
§ Mr. RogersTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) what is the current target for the employment of civilian specialist computer science staff in the procurement executive;
(2) what is the total number of civilian specialist computer science staff currently employed in the procurement executive;
(3) what the target for the employment of civilian staff in the procurement executive in each year between 1980 and 1989;
903W(4) what was the total number of civilian staff employed in the procurement executive in each year between 1980 and 1989.
§ Mr. Alan ClarkI will write to the hon. Member.