§ Mr. Don FosterTo ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to her answer of 11 January 2000,Official Report, column 134W, on secondments, if she will give the names, grades and job titles of the staff seconded into her Department from each organisation mentioned, stating in each case the name of the section they were seconded to and a summary of the work that they were involved with. [128241]
§ Mr. StringerSecondments and attachments are part of the Interchange Initiative, which promotes the exchange of people and good practice between the Civil Service and other organisations. Before an Interchange can occur, all parties must be satisfied that no conflict of interest arises.
The secondees to the Cabinet Office between May 1997 and December 1999 as listed in the answer of 11 January 2000, Official Report, column 134W, worked in a variety of jobs from Cabinet Office Band B2 (broadly equivalent to Higher Executive Officer) to the Senior Civil Service. They worked in a wide range of areas, many of them concerned with the Modernising Government initiative, where we are keen to benefit from best practice from all sections of the economy.
I am not prepared to identify individual secondees by name or job title. Secondees are employed on the basis that they can contribute valuable expertise and good practice to the Civil Service, and on the basis that no conflict of interest arises. Where appropriate, their names are published in directories such as the Civil Service Year Book, as are those of permanent staff. But they are not separately identified as being on secondment.