HC Deb 18 December 1996 vol 287 cc724-5W
Mr. Hain

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many(a) permanent and (b) non-permanent staff there have been in (i) his Department and (ii) executive agencies of his Department in each year since 1992. [9666]

Mr. Howard

The tables set out available information for the Home Office and its executive agencies. The information for the agencies has been provided by the chief executives of the United Kingdom Passport Agency and the Fire Service College, the Director General of the Forensic Science Service and the Director General of the Prison Service. The information for the non-Prison Service Home Office gives the position as at 20 November and that for the Prison Service gives the position as at 2 December. Non-permanent staff include casuals, certain industrial staff and those staff having neither an established nor a fixed-term employment status. For the purpose of producing statistics on civil service staff, fixed-term appointees are regarded as permanent staff, and are, therefore, included in the figures for permanent staff given. Information under (b) for the years prior to 1996 could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Table 1: Home Office excluding agencies
(a) Permanent staff (b) Non-permanent staff
1996 9,280 373
1995 9,252
1994 10,367
1993 9,378
1992 12,069

The 1992 figures predate the formation of the Forensic Science Service as an executive agency: staff who formed the agency on the 1 April 1992 are therefore included in these figures.

Table 2: Forensic Science Service
(a) Permanent staff (b) Non-permanent staff
1996 1,197 8
1995 725
1994 706
1993 646

The 1996 figure includes staff joining the FSS from the Metropolitan Police Laboratory. Figures for 1993–95 are taken from MANDATE returns to Cabinet Office.

Table 3: Fire Service College
(a) Permanent staff (b) Non-permanent staff
1996 179 9
1995 189 5
1994 181 5
1993 152

Figures for 1993 are taken from MANDATE returns to Cabinet Office.

Area Male Female Total
Full-time Part-time Total Full-time Part-time Total
Home Office Main 4,476 43 4,519 3,616 679 4,295 8,814
Her Majesty's Prison Service 30,219 1,052 31,271 7,058 1,425 8,483 39,754
Forensic Science Service 596 3 599 516 141 657 1,256
Fire Service College 109 1 110 79 8 87 197
United Kingdom Passport Agency 520 24 544 782 234 1,106 1,560
Total 35,920 1,123 37,043 12,051 2,487 14,628 51,581

Home Office figures are for permanent non-industrial staff.