§ Miss Melanie JohnsonTo ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will publish summary information on his Department's recruitment for calendar year 1998, and the use of permitted exceptions to the principles of fair and open competition and selection on merit, as required by the Civil Service Commissioners' Recruitment Code. [86825]
§ Dr. HowellsIt is DTI policy that recruitment is carried out on the basis of fair and open competition and selection on merit, subject to the exceptions permitted by the Civil Service Commissioners. My Department has systems in place which ensure that the principles of fair and open competition are understood and followed, in accordance with the provisions of the Civil Service Commissioners' Recruitment Code. These systems are subject to internal check and to external check by the Commissioner's approved auditors.
The DTI's Executive Agencies and the Government Office network make separate arrangements for publishing recruitment data and the following table and narratives describe only Headquarters recruitment.
extensions of short-term appointments beyond the initially publicised period, including conversions to permanency:
1 Range 10 Research Officer whose appointment was extended to oversee the completion of a project; 1 Range 10 converted to permanency due to difficulty of recruiting a Remuneration Specialist
secondments: 56
extensions to secondments:
26, mostly in the export promotion field where it is difficult to attract the right people. Also, it is becoming increasingly difficult to gain agreement for secondees' release from their parent organisation
re-appointment of former civil servants:
1 Range 10 Lawyer formerly employed by the Crown Prosecution Service; 1 Range 4 who was originally recruited by DSS, applied to DTI for a casual post and was then reinstated in situ
transfers of staff with their work (not under TUPE): none
367Wtransfers of staff from other public services without work (unless from a public body staffed exclusively by civil servants): none
appointments of surplus acceptable candidates to shortage posts: none
appointments of disabled candidates under modified selection arrangements: none
any use of the exceptions reserved for the Commissioners (ie appointments on the basis of the proven distinction of the individual and appointments not in order of merit): none.