HC Deb 12 June 1996 vol 279 cc190-2W
Mr. Donohoe

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland 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. [31395]

Sir John Wheeler

Within the Northern Ireland Office and Northern Ireland Departments the information requested is not fully available. The information available is as follows:

1994–95 1995–96
Number of staff recruited 2,007 2,666
Cost of recruitment £1,205,123 £1,564,197

Information on the cost of recruitment of industrial and casual staff is not fully available.

  1. (a) for the Department of Health and Social Services, Department of Agriculture for Northern Ireland and Department of Education for Northern Ireland to provide figures would incur disproportionate cost;
  2. (b) for the Department of Economic Development, only advertising costs are included; and
  3. (c) for the Department of Environment, estimated costs are included.

Mr. Donohoe

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland 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. [31410]

Sir John Wheeler

During 1994–95 and 1995–96, the Northern Ireland Office and Northern Ireland Departments have used Recruitment and Assessment Services and Premiere Employment. The costs and recruitment figures are listed.

1994–95 1995–96
Totals costs £15,714 £15,804
Number of staff recruited 1 1

Individual cases cannot be identified on grounds of confidentiality.

Mr. Donohoe

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland 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. [31523]

Sir John Wheeler

The Northern Ireland Departments would consider using executive search or employment agencies to recruit staff for specialists jobs or in exceptional cases.

The Northern Ireland Office cadre of home civil servants is relatively small and thus there is a minimal requirement to recruit staff. It is therefore cost-effective to use a recruitment agency.

Mr. Donohoe

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will list(a) the number of (i) male and (ii) female employees, (b) the number of officials employed at each of the principal grades and the numbers and percentages of women employed at each of these grades and (c) the number of staff employed at administrative grades and the numbers and percentages of these staff that are women in his Department on 1 April. [30549]

Sir John Wheeler

The information requested is contained in the following table:

  1. (i) Male employees: 10,870
  2. (ii) Female employees: 10,618
At 1 April 1996
Grade Number of officials Number of women Percentage of women
Grade 6 and above 527 82 15.6
Grade 7 896 132 14.7
Deputy principal 1,456 290 19.9
Staff officer 2,395 635 26.5
Executive officer I 3,425 929 27.1
Executive officer II 3,087 1,847 59.8
At 1 April 1996
Grade Number of staff Number of women Percentage of women
Admin officer 6,639 4,717 71.0
Admin assistant 3,063 1,986 64.8

1. Non-general service grades have been lumped together with their general service analogues.

2. Figures relate to the Northern Ireland Office and the six departments of the Northern Ireland civil service.

3. Figures include full-time, part-time etc staff.

4. Figures do not include NICS staff seconded to the Police Authority for Northern Ireland.

5. Industrial staff have been excluded as it would take disproportionate cost to identify the relevant figures.