HC Deb 20 February 1997 vol 290 cc745-7W
Mr. Hall

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the private employment agencies used by his Department and its agencies in each of the last three years for which figures are available, indicating(a) the names of the agencies, (b) the numbers employed by the agencies in work for his Department, (c) the total cost to his Department of using employment agencies and the median cost paid to the agency per person recruited and (d) the average length of contract for persons recruited via such agencies. 116177]

Mr. Howard

The information recorded centrally is set out below. Additional information could be obtained only at disproportionate cost. The information given for the agencies has been provided by the Director General of the Prison Service and the chief executives of the Passport Agency, the Forensic Science Agency and the Fire Service College.

Home Office (excluding the Agencies)

  1. (a) The following employment agencies have been used by central personnel units in the last three years:
    • Alfred Marks
    • Belle Recruitment
    • Brook Street
    • Excel Recruitment
    • Josephine Sammons
    • Kelly Services
    • Manpower
    • Michael Page Finance
    • Office Angels
    • Purcon
    • Reed Employment
    Other agencies may have been used by local managers.
  2. (b) This information is not recorded centrally and could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.
  3. (c) The total cost to central personnel units was approximately £260,000 in 1995 and £592,000 in 1996. Additional costs may have been incurred locally. The median cost paid to the agency per person recruited could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.
  4. (d) This information could only be obtained at disproportionate cost. The majority of agency staff used are typists and secretaries who are booked on a weekly basis as required to provide cover for staff on sick leave, maternity leave or annual leave.

HM Prison Service

  1. (a) The following employment agencies have been used by the central personnel unit in the last three years:
    • Account Temps
    • Adecco Alfred Marks
    • Badenoch and Clark
    • Capita
    • Certes
    • DBI Associates
    • Excel
    • Harrison Willis
    • Hays Accountancy Personnel
    • Inline KPG
    • Insight
    • Josephine Sammons
    • Manpower
    • Reed Employment
    • R. Page
  2. (b) On 17 February 1997 the following agency staff were working in the Prison Service: 16 personal secretaries, four analysts, two administrative staff, 12 accounts clerks and 19 accountants. The total number of agency staff used in a year is not recorded.
  3. (c) This information is not recorded centrally as costs are met from local budgets.
  4. (d) This information is not recorded centrally as the arrangements in each case are made by local managers.

Passport Agency

  1. (a) The following agencies have been used in the last two years:
    • Kelly Services
    • Manpower
    • Maureen Lynn RA
    747
  2. (b) 1995: two agency staff were used.
    • 1996: four agency staff were used.
  3. (c) The total cost was £2,603.67 in 1995 and £25,865.14 in 1996.
  4. (d) Agency staff have been used for periods between 11 hours and eight months.

Forensic Science Service

(a) The following agencies have been used in the period 199394 to 1995–96:

  • Alfred Marks
  • Blue Arrow
  • Brook Street
  • Ecco
  • Excel
  • Harrison Willis
  • Lab Staff
  • Purcon

The information available in response to (b), (c) and (d) is as follows:

1993–94 1994–95 1995–961
Average number of agency staff used 6 23 47
Total cost £66,000 £254,000 £763,000
Average length of stay (in weeks) 31 30 42
1 The establishment of the National DNA Database required a number of temporary posts at the outset which were subsequently converted to permanent positions.

Fire Service College

  1. (a) The following agencies have been used in the period April 1995 to date:
    • Apex
    • Infomatch
    • Premier (CBR)
  2. (b) This information could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.
  3. (c) The total cost in 1995–96 was £33,147 and the total cost to date in 1996-97 has been £60,157. These figures include VAT which is not recoverable as the Fire Service College has exempt status for VAT purposes.
  4. (d) This information could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.