HC Deb 10 June 1996 vol 279 cc26-7W
Mr. Donohoe

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what use his Department and its executive agencies have made of executive search agencies or employment companies in filling vacancies within his Department or executive agencies administered by his Department during the financial years 1994–95 and 1995–96; what agencies were employed; what was the cost in each case; how many staff were recruited in each case; and what was the total cost in each financial year of these contracts. [31415]

Mr. Norris

My Department has used Recruitment and Assessment Services and other specialist recruitment agencies for external recruitment. The total number of staff recruited using these services was 19, for the 1994–95 financial year, and 223 for 1995–96. The overall estimated recruitment costs including agency costs—which are not separately identified—in each financial year was in the order of £300,000. The following agencies were employed in the period in question:

  • Recruitment and Assessment Services
  • Link-up Recruitment
  • Murray and Co.
  • Harrison and Willis
  • Saxton Bampfylde International plc
  • NB Selection Ltd.
  • Sanders and Sidney Outplacement Consultant Beechwood Executive Search
  • Prospect Recruitment Ltd.
  • Comtex Solutions
  • Principal People
  • PTC

Mr. Donohoe

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much his Department spent in recruiting staff to his Department and its executive agencies during the 1994–95 and 1995–96 financial years; and how many staff were recruited in each of these years. [31400]

Mr. Norris

The figures requested for recruitment in my Department are contained in the following table.

CTG DSA DVLA VCA TCA HA MSA VIEA TRL Totals
April 1995—April 1996
Cost £188,965 £104,500 £9,100 £1,609 £28,085 £46,944 £23,428 £58,000 £103,000 £563,631
Total permanent recruitment (for both periods) 67 302 142 4 74 34 46 104 177 950
Total costs (for both periods) £458,147 £138,500 £9,100 £6,592 £54,437 £83,394 £40,530 £112,000 £178,000 £1,080,700
1 FTA (Fixed Term Appointments) not including casual recruitment.
CTG = Central Transport Group.
DSA = Driving Standards Agency.
DVLA = Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency.
VCA = Vehicle Certification Agency.
TCA = The Coast-Guard Agency.
HA = High-Ways Agency.
MSA = Marine Safety Agency.
VIEA = Vehicle Inspectorate.
TRL = Transport Research Laboratory privatised April 1996.

Mr. Donohoe

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport in what circumstances his Department or its executive agencies uses an executive search or employment agency to recruit staff in preference to using personnel staff within his own Department or its executive agencies. [31528]

Mr. Norris

The Department and its executive agencies use executive search or employment agencies where it is felt that this provides a better and more cost-effective service than the normal recruitment methods.