§ Baroness Jegerasked her Majesty's Government:
How many workers will be employed by contractors in the Royal Parks; how many of these workers will have been recruited from the existing staff; and what will be the effect, grade by grade, on employment, pensions, sick pay, leave, job security and pay.
§ The Minister of State, Department of the Environment (Baroness Blatch)The five garden and landscape maintenance contractors in the Royal Parks have begun work with a total manual staff of 156, of which 147 are former Royal Parks staff. The contractors' staff numbers are likely to increase with the rising volume of work during the spring and summer. The terms and conditions of employment of staff are a matter for the individual contractors.