§ Lord Mackay of Ardbrecknishasked Her Majesty's Government:
What investigations have been carried out into the appointment and employment of Councillor John Black as Manager of the Hull Resettlement Project.
§ The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Social Security (Baroness Hollis of Heigham):The Hull Resettlement Project (HRP) is a company registered with Companies House under the Companies Act 1995 and is also a charity registered with the Charities Commission under the Charities Act 1993. The recruitment, appointment and retention of staff is therefore one of the responsibilities of the board of trustees, which has a staffing sub-committee to advise on all personnel matters. With regard to the appointment of Councillor John Black to the post of General 136WA Manager of the HRP, the Board of Trustees, through its staffing sub-committee, was advised by Hull City Council's Chief Personnel Officer and legal advisors in the Town Clerk's Office to ensure that the exercise was properly and fairly conducted at all stages and that all employment legislation and requirements and procedures were complied with. The continuing employment of John Black remains a matter for the HRP Board of Trustees.
The Department of Social Security continues to monitor all aspects of the performance of the HRP, as well as all other resettlement projects that it funds under Section 30 of the Jobseekers Act 1995.