§ Mr. BradyTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many employees of his Department and its agencies have been recruited from the New Deal; and what percentage of total staff this represents. [129143]
§ Mr. StrawI refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave the hon. Member for Buckingham (Mr. Bercow) on 22 July 1999,Official Report, column 618W, and also the reply given by my right hon. Friend the Minister for the Cabinet Office and Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster (Marjorie Mowlam) to my hon. Friend the Member for Bradford, North (Mr. Rooney) on 6 July 2000, Official Report, column 286W.
Since my reply of 22 July 1999 the number of people recruited to the Home Office and its agencies under New Deal has increased to 25. This represents 0.71 per cent. of the total number of administrative assistants and equivalent grades (the grade at which New Dealers are engaged) in the Home Office.
In addition, a further 39 people on New Deal have secured employment with the Prison Service through normal recruitment channels. This brings the percentage up to 1.83 per cent. of the total number of staff in the grade.