§ Mr. WillisTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions how many staff were seconded from the private sector to his Department from (a) May 1997 to April 1998, (b) May 1998 to April 1999 and (c) May 1999 to the latest date for which figures are available, stating in each case the companies from which staff have been seconded. [109071]
§ Ms Beverley Hughes[holding answer 8 February 2000]: Secondments and attachments are part of the Interchange Initiative, which promotes the exchange of people and good practice between the Civil Service and other organisations. All sectors of the economy are involved: Voluntary, Education, Health, Public and Private. Interchange is a key component of the reform agenda. The Modernising Government White Paper committed us to increasing interchange, in particular by bringing in more people on secondment and seconding more of our people out.
From May 1997 to April 1998, there were 19 secondees to the Department. Four of these secondees were from the private sector, and came from the following companies:
- CRE Group Ltd.
- Bank of Scotland
- Unilever
- District Audit.
Between May 1998 to April 1999, there were 40 secondees to the Department. 21 of these secondees were from the private sector, and came from the following organisations:
159W
- Kvaerner Construction
- OVE Arup
- Crown House Engineering
- British Gas
- Bovis Construction
- Kvaener Cementation Foundations
- Geoffrey Reid Associates
- Marks and Spencer
- Bellway Urban Renewal
- KPMG
- Buildings Research Establishment
- IPPR
- ABROS
- Boots the Chemist Ltd.
- College of North East London
- D. A. Dawson and Associates
- National Grid
- Hider
- Waters Ltd.
- OPM
- Institute for Fiscal Studies.
From May 1999 to December 1999, there were 20 secondees to the Department. Five of these secondees were from the private sector, and came from the following companies:
- Buro—Happold
- Christiani and Nielsen
- Development Trust Association
- Building Research Establishment
- Homeless Network.