HC Deb 19 April 1995 vol 258 cc161-2W
Mr. Flynn

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will list the jobs that have been lost to agencies in his Department in the past two years that have(a) been taken over by contractors and (b) disappeared. [18320]

Mr. Waldegrave

[holding answer 4 April 1995]: Responsibility for this matter is delegated to agency chief executives and I have asked them to reply to the hon. Member direct.

Letter from Dr. P. I. Stanley to Mr. Paul Flynn, dated 3 April 1995:

JOBS LOST TO MAFF AGENCIES IN THE PAST TWO YEARS The Central Science Laboratory (CSL) was first launched as an executive agency of the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (MAFF) in April 1992. Over the two year period since 1st April 1993 there have been no job losses overall within CSL and no jobs have been taken over by contractors. However, approval has been given for six members of staff to take voluntary early retirement in March 1995.

Letter from J. Bainton to Mr. Paul Flynn, dated 3 April 1995: The Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food has asked met to reply, in respect of Pesticides Safety Directorate (PSD), to your question about jobs that have been lost to agencies in the past two, years. The Directorate was launched as an executive agency on 1 April 1993. Since that time no jobs have been taken over by contractors, although PSD does, as necessary, contract-out some pesticide evaluation work in order to manage work flows within the agency. However, over the period, PSD has reduced its complement of typists from 6.5 to 2.5 staff, which has largely been as a consequence of the introduction of new computer systems which have provided staff with direct access to word processing facilities.

Letter from T. W. A. Little to Mr. Paul Flynn, dated 19 April 1995: The Minister has asked me to reply to your question about jobs lost to Agencies over the last two years. Over the past two years there have been no jobs lost to CVL by the Department and no work has been taken over by a contractor.

Letter from Guy Stapleton to Mr. Paul Flynn dated 11 April 1995: The Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries & Food has asked me to reply to your Parliamentary Question concerning the loss of jobs in MAFF agencies over the past two years. Internal restructuring brought about by market testing in the Intervention Board resulted in the saving of nineteen posts in total during the period from 1 April 1993 to 31 March 1995. No posts have been taken over by contractors.

Letter from Dr. J. M. Walsh to Mr. Paul Flynn, dated 3 April 1995: The Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food has asked me to reply directly to you in answer to your Parliamentary Question No. 1014. In this you asked him to list the jobs that had been lost to Agencies in his department in the past two years that have (a) been taken over by contractors and (b) disappeared. In the past two years ADAS has reduced its complement of permanent staff by a total of 445 posts. This represents 19% of staff in post at the 1 April 1993. The work carried out by these staff has not been taken over by contractors. Some has disappeared and some absorbed due to more efficient practices.

Letter from Dr. J. M. Rutter to Mr. Paul Flynn, dated 3 April 1995: The Minister has asked me to reply on behalf of the Veterinary Medicines Directorate (VMD) to your question about the jobs that have been lost to agencies in his Department in the past two years, as this is an operational matter for which I am responsible. I can confirm that no jobs in the VMD have been lost in the past two years as a result either of being taken over by contractors or disappearing.