§ Malcolm BruceTo ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many complaints were registered against his Department and its predecessor Departments in(a) 1990 to 1996 and (b) 1997 to 2002; how many are current; and what proportion were (i) taken up and (ii) upheld by the Parliamentary Ombudsman in those periods. [51587]
§ Mr. LeslieDetails of complaints against the Cabinet Office are not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Details of complaints taken up and upheld by the Parliamentary Commissioner are contained in the Parliamentary Ombudsman's annual report. Copies of the annual reports covering the periods specified are available in the Library of the House, and for annual reports from 1997–98 are available on the Parliamentary Ombudsman's website at:
www.ombudsman.org.uk/pca/document/par01/index.htm
Staff on loan to other Government Departments, by Government Department, as at 1 April 2001 Importing Department Staff on loan Total staff Percentage Cabinet Office 540 1,804 29.9 Crown Prosecution Service 3 5,832 0.1 Culture, Media and Sport 83 633 13.1 Customs and Excise 10 22,439 0.0 Department for Education and Employment 35 39,296 0.1 Department for National Savings 0 123 0.0 Department of Health 80 5,708 1.4 Department of Social Security 40 88,793 0.0 Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions 111 16,728 0.7 Department of Trade and Industry 84 10,300 0.8 Export Credit Guarantee Department 10 384 2.6 Health and Safety Executive/Commission 8 4,058 0.2 Home Office (Main) 52 16,743 0.3 Charity Commission 2 547 0.4 HM Prison Service 2 42,719 0.0 Inland Revenue 54 71,775 0.1 Lord Chancellor's Department 23 11,227 0.2 Ministry of Defence 52 86,722 0.1 Office for National Statistics 14 3,214 0.4 Office of Fair Trading 58 505 11.5 Office of the Secretary of State for Scotland 1 93 1.1 Privy Council Office 17 38 44.7 Registry of Friendly Societies 1 5 20.0 Scottish Executive 22 5,101 0.4 Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal 1 1,222 0.1 Security and Intelligence Services 21 4,492 0.5 HM Treasury 148 850 17.4 Total 1,472 441,351 0.3 The table represents a snapshot figure as at 1 April 2001. In the year 1 April 2000 to 31 March 2001, there were 1,577 instances of loans inward to all Government Departments, and 1,694 instances of loans outward. Inter-departmental mobility is a key factor in the delivery of the Modernising Government Agenda. It is important because
1. it reinforces the appeal of variety in an individual's career and can aid staff development;2. experience of other Government Departments/agencies encourages individuals to think across departmental boundaries and work in partnership, exchanging ideas and good practice;