HC Deb 26 June 1992 vol 210 cc341-2W
Mr. Leighton

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many civil servants were employed in the National Economic Development Office and Council; how many of those have been moved to(a) the Department of Trade and Industry and (b) elsewhere in the civil service; and how many have been made redundant.

Mr. Portillo

At the time of my right hon. Friend's statement on 16 June, the NEDC and NEDO employed 113 staff, including four on secondment to other organisations and five on fixed-term contracts which will end before NEDO is due to close on 31 December. In addition, NEDO staff included two secondees from other organisations, including one civil servant.

Staff on secondment to NEDO will be entitled to return to their parent organisation. As my right hon. Friend explained in his statement, some staff may be offered limited period appointments in the DTI and there may be other opportunities in Government Departments. Those who do not secure employment in the civil service will be eligible for redundancy compensation by analogy with the usual civil service rules. I shall not know how many staff have been made redundant until after NEDO has closed at the end of the year.