HC Deb 05 February 1998 vol 305 cc800-1W
Mr. Duncan

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if he will list by grade the number of officials in his Department at grade 3 or above who have(a) taken early retirement, (b) taken official leave, (c) been dismissed, (d) changed jobs within the Department, (e) moved to another Department and (f) been offered and rejected an alternative position (i) within the Department and (ii) in another Department since 1 May. [27458]

Dr. Howells

Since 1 May 1997, 3 officials at Director (broadly equivalent to the former grade 3) level in DfEE (including the Employment Service) have taken early retirement, none have taken official leave and none have been dismissed. Two have moved to posts at Director level on promotion, 1 has returned to DfEE at this level having been on loan to another Department and 1 has returned to the Department at this level after a secondment to an outside organisation. No one at Director level has moved to another Department or been offered and rejected an alternative position, either within the Department or in another Department. None of the circumstances listed have applied to anyone at Director General (broadly equivalent to the former grade 2) level and above in DfEE since 1 May 1997 although further restructuring of the DfEE Board later this year is likely to involve 1 early retirement and 1 change of job.