§ Mrs. GillanTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if he will list(a) the name, (b) the salary, (c) the previous occupation and salary and (d) the terms and conditions of each political and special adviser in his Department; and what was the selection process used to appoint these persons. [2420]
§ Mr. Blunkett[holding answer 6 June 1997]: I have, with the approval of the Prime Minister, appointed two Special Advisers; Conor Ryan and Sophie Linden, who works part-time.
I have, in addition, appointed Professor Michael Barber as an expert adviser on Standards and Effectiveness.
The terms and conditions of these appointments are set out in the draft model contract, a copy of which has been placed in the Library of the House.
Special Advisers are paid within a range of £24,349 to £73,484. Their salaries are negotiated individually and are confidential within this range. Details of this and of previous salary are not provided in order to protect the privacy of the individuals concerned. I have already announced that I will provide information on the total costs to the Department of a number of appointments as soon as agreement has been reached.
These are personal appointments by myself, following consultation with the Permanent Head of the Department and the Prime Minister.