Recruitment (Hansard, 13 June 1996)

§ Mr. Donohoe
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food 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. [31417]

§ Mr. Boswell
The information in respect of the use of executive search agencies and employment companies to fill vacancies in core MAFF and the Pesticide Safety Directorate is as follows:

1994–95

Trading Standards Advisor

2 Administrative Fast Stream

2 Grade 7s (Legal)

Assistant Statisticians

2 Assistant Economists

1 Legal Officer

1 Grade 7 (PPO)

5 Fisheries Officers II

1 Grade 7 (PSO)

2 Higher Scientific Officers

4 Senior Professional and Technical Officers

6 Veterinary Officers

2 Veterinary Investigation Officers

Core MAFF also undertook a recruitment exercise for a chief executive, on behalf of the Meat Hygiene Service

Total costs=£160,538.29

1995–96

5 Administrative Fast Stream

Head of Resource Management Division

1 Grade 7 (Legal)

2 Assistant Economists

4 Investigation Officers (including 1 fixed term appointment)

1 Grade 7 (PPO)

7 Horticultural Marketing Inspectors

1 Higher Scientific Officer

1 Scientific Officer

3 Fisheries Officers II

1 Grade 6

2 Veterinary Investigation Officers

Core MAFF also undertook recruitment exercises for a head of operations on behalf of the Meat Hygiene Service; and a chief executive for the intervention board.
Total Cost = £220,188.06
All the above recruitment exercises were carried out by the Recruitment and Assessment Services with one exception in 1994–95.
Executive agencies will reply separately by chief executive's letter.
275W
Letter from Philip Needham to Mr. Brian Donohoe, dated 13 June 1996:
The Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food has asked me to reply direct to your Parliamentary Question in which you ask what use the Executive Agencies have made of executive search agencies or employment companies in filling vacancies within the Executive Agency 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. (31417)
The information for ADAS is as follows:

Year Cost £ Consultancy Staff recruited

1994–95 6,000 St. James's Recruitment Consultants One

1995–96 4,621 Cherry Consultants One

Letter from Johnston McNeill to Mr. Brian Donohoe, dated 13 June 1996:
As Chief Executive of the Meat Hygiene Service, your questions to the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food concerning the use of executive search agencies or employment companies for recruitment and the expenditure on, and number of staff recruited during 1994/95 and 1995/96 have been passed to me for reply with respect to this Executive Agency.(31417)The Meat Hygiene Service (MHS) was established on 1 April 1995 as an Executive Agency of MAFF and took over from some 300 local authorities the responsibility for enforcing hygiene, inspection and welfare requirements in licensed fresh meat premises in Great Britain. The majority of the Agency's staff are meat inspectors and official veterinary surgeons. Some 711 meat inspectors transferred over to the MHS on 1 April 1995 from local authorities under the Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) (TUPE) Regulations 1981.In 1994/95 before the launch of the MHS an initial recruitment exercise was carried out to appoint senior and middle management posts as well as the administrative posts required to ensure the effective operation of the Service. The Recruitment and Assessment Services (RAS) Agency were used for the recruitment of 61 staff. Assistance was provided by RAS in the advertisement of posts as well as their staff sitting on the interview panels for the more senior management positions. The total cost for their services was approximately £287,500. £78,000 of this sum was funded by the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food.The MHS spent approximately £44,000 (excluding expenditure for the services of RAS) in 1994/95 on the recruitment of staff. This was primarily for the services of members of the Personnel team of the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food and consultants on interview panels for the afore-mentioned posts.Approximately £39,000 was spent by the MHS in 1995/96 on the recruitment and selection of 375 additional meat inspectors and veterinary staff and a relatively small number of administrative and clerical support staff. This sum has been mainly incurred in advertising costs, as the MHS has fully utilised the services of its own personnel department in recruitment exercises.
Letter from P. I. Stanley to Mr. Brian Donohoe, dated 13 June 1996:
You asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food two questions relating to executive search or employment agencies to recruit staff. The Minister has asked me to reply to you in respect of his Central Science Laboratory (CSL) Agency, as this is an operational matter for which I am responsible.(31417)It is only in exceptional circumstances, such as filling a very senior or specialist post, that we would use the services of an outside agency for recruitment purposes in preference to our own personnel staff.276WYou ask specifically for details of expenditure in the financial years 1994/95 and 1995/96. During these two years no executive search agencies were employed but in 1995/96 an employment agency was used at a cost of £6.5k to recruit a senior member of staff to a specialist scientific post.
Letter from Dr. J. M. Rutter to Mr. Brian Donohoe, dated 13 June 1996:
The Minister has asked me to reply to your question about the use of executive search agencies or employment companies in filling vacancies as this is an operational matter for which I am responsible.(31417)The Veterinary Medicines Directorate did not use these methods for filling vacancies during the financial years 1994–95 and 1995–96.
Letter from T. W. A. Little to Mr. Brian Donohoe, dated 13 June 1996:
The Minister has asked me to reply to your questions on recruitment in the Veterinary Laboratories Agency (VLA).(31417)The VLA was established on 1 October 1995, from the merger of the existing Central Veterinary Laboratory with the Veterinary Investigation Service, which was part of the State Veterinary Service. Figures quoted below relate only to the Central Veterinary Laboratory.In reply to your question on executive search agencies and employment companies, the VLA did not make use of any such organisation during 1994–95 and 1995–96.
The cost of recruiting permanent staff and the numbers of staff recruited are as follows:-

Recruitment cost £ Recruitment numbers £

1995–96 25,046 61

1994–95 13,347 45

The above costs include advertising and the costs of candidates travelling to interview. A higher number of specialist professional posts in areas such as BSE, bovine tuberculosis and rabies have been filled over the last year, resulting in increased costs.

§ Mr. Donohoe
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food 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. [31402]

§ Mr. Boswell
It is not readily possible to separate out costs for recruitment.
The number of staff recruited to core MAFF and the Pesticide Safety Directorate is 426 for 1994–95 and 667 for 1995–96.
Executive agencies will reply separately by chief executive's letter.
Letter from Dr. J. M. Rutter to Mr. Brian Donohoe, dated 13 June 1996:
The Minister has asked me to reply to your recent question about the cost and numbers of staff recruited during the 1994–95 and 1995–96 financial years as this is an operational matter for which I am responsible. [31402]During 1994–95 the Veterinary Medicines Directorate recruited five members of staff at a cost of £20,529 and in 1995–96 recruited sixteen members of staff at a cost of £69,288.277W
Letter from Philip Needham to Mr. Brian Donohoe, dated 13 June 1996:
The Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food has asked me to reply direct to your Parliamentary Question in which you ask how much his Agencies have spent in recruiting staff during the 1994–95 and 1995–96 financial years; and how many staff were recruited in each of these years. [31402]
The figures for ADAS are as follows:

Year Cost £ Number of staff

1994–95 21,793 88

1995–96 80,762 138

The figures above exclude short term casual appointments and the two posts recruited through an executive search agency.
Letter from P. I. Stanley to Mr. Brian Donohoe, dated 13 June 1996:
The Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food has asked me to reply to your question about the cost and number of staff recruited in each of the financial years 1994/95 and 1995/96 in respect of his Central Science Laboratory (CSL) Agency, as this is an operational matter for which I am responsible.(31402)
The figures are as follows:

1994/95: £77330; 86 staff

1995/96: £63465; 250 staff

The costs relate to recruitment advertising and expenses of candidates and independent members of interview boards. The number of staff includes permanent, causal and fixed-term appointments. The number of staff recruited in 1995/96 shows a significant increase. This reflects recruitment of new staff associated with the Agency's relocation of the majority of its existing sites to a single new site near York later this year and the need to make casual appointments to fill posts where some staff not relocating to York have already left the Agency.
Letter from Johnston McNeill to Mr. Brian Donohoe, dated 13 June 1996:
As Chief Executive of the Meat Hygiene Service, your questions to the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food concerning the use of executive search agencies or employment companies for recruitment and the expenditure on, and number of staff recruited during 1994/95 and 1995/96 have been passed to me for reply with respect to this Executive Agency. (31402)
The Meat Hygiene Service (MHS) was established on 1 April 1995 as an Executive Agency of MAFF and took over from some 300 local authorities the responsibility for enforcing hygiene, inspection and welfare requirements in licensed fresh meat premises in Great Britain. The majority of the Agency's staff are meat inspectors and official veterinary surgeons. Some 711 meat inspectors transferred over to the MHS on 1 April 1995 from local authorities under the Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) (TUPE) Regulations 1981.In 1994/95 before the launch of the MHS an initial recruitment exercise was carried out to appoint senior and middle management posts as well as the administrative posts required to ensure the effective operation of the Service. The Recruitment and Assessment Services (RAS) Agency were used for the recruitment of 61 staff. Assistance was provided by RAS in the advertisement of posts as well as their staff sitting on the interview panels for the more senior management positions. The total cost for their services was approximately £287,500. £78,000 of this sum was funded by the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food.The MHS spent approximately £44,000 (excluding expenditure for the services of (RAS) in 1994/95 on the recruitment of staff. This was primarily for the services of members of the Personnel team of the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food consultants on interview panels for the afore-mentioned posts.Approximately £39,000 was spent by the MHS in 1995/96 on the recruitment and selection of 375 additional meat inspectors and veterinary staff and a relatively small number of administrative and 278W clerical support staff. This sum has been mainly incurred in advertising costs, as the MHS has fully utilised the services of its own personnel department in recruitment exercises.
Letter from T. W. A. Little to Mr. Brian Donohoe, dated 13 June 1996:
The Minister has asked me to reply to your questions on recruitment in the Veterinary Laboratories Agency (VLA). (31402)The VLA was established on 1 October 1995, from the merger of the existing Central Veterinary Laboratory with the Veterinary Investigation Service, which was part of the State Veterinary Service. Figures quoted below relate only to the Central Veterinary Laboratory.In reply to your question on executive search agencies and employment companies, the VLA did not make use of any such organisation during 1994/95 and 1995/96.
The cost of recruiting permanent staff and the numbers of staff recruited are as follows:—

Recruitment cost £ Recruitment numbers

1995–96 25,046 61

1994–95 13,347 45

The above costs include advertising and the costs of candidates travelling to interview. A higher number of specialist professional posts in areas such as BSE, bovine tuberculosis and rabies have been filled over the last year, resulting in increased costs.

§ Mr. Donohoe
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food 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. [31530]

§ Mr. Boswell
Use of executive search agencies by my Department and its agencies is limited to occasional recruitment, including head hunting, for senior management posts, or posts where a high degree of specialist skill is needed. In addition, employment agencies, most notably Recruitment and Assessment Services, are used wherever this reflects best use of resources to recruit all grades of staff.
The chief executive of the Central Science Laboratory has replied separately by letter.
Letter from I. P. Stanley to Mr. Brian Donohoe, dated 13 June 1996:
You asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food two questions relating to executive search or employment agencies to recruit staff. The Minster has asked me to reply to you in respect of his Central Science Laboratory (CSL) Agency, as this is an operational matter for which I am responsible.(31530)It is only in exceptional circumstances, such as filling a very senior or specialist post, that we would use the services of an outside agency for recruitment purposes in preference to our own personnel staff.You ask specifically for details of expenditure in the financial years 1994/95 and 1995/96. During these two years no executive search agencies were employed but in 1995/96 an employment agency was used at a cost of £6.5k to recruit a senior member of staff to a specialist scientific post.

Year	Cost £	Consultancy	Staff recruited
1994–95	6,000	St. James's Recruitment Consultants	One
1995–96	4,621	Cherry Consultants	One

	Recruitment cost £	Recruitment numbers £
1995–96	25,046	61
1994–95	13,347	45

Year	Cost £	Number of staff
1994–95	21,793	88
1995–96	80,762	138

	Recruitment cost £	Recruitment numbers
1995–96	25,046	61
1994–95	13,347	45