§ Norman BakerTo ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what the total cost to her Department for the secondment of BP employees since January 2000 has been. [52162]
§ Ms HewittRecords held centrally show the total cost of reimbursement to BP for provision of secondees into DTI in the period from 1 January 2000 to 31 March 2002 as £80,334.
§ Norman BakerTo ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what expenses and travel costs BP employees on secondment to her Department are allowed to claim. [52160]
§ Ms HewittTerms and conditions of secondments into the Department are set out in contractual agreements. The standard terms for all secondees in relation to travel and subsistence costs are that the Department reimburses direct to secondees the cost of any travel, subsistence and other expenditure that they may incur in the course of their work while on secondment. Reimbursement is at DTI rates and is made in accordance with departmental rules. The only exception to this arrangement is where any secondee has the use of a company car and uses it on DTI business. In these instances the secondee is not paid a DTI mileage rate but is reimbursed actual costs of petrol used.
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§ Norman BakerTo ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry on what date the secondment of Mr. Bob Saunders from BP to her Department began; what the duration of the secondment will be; what the terms and conditions of the secondment are; and if she will make a statement. [52158]
§ Ms HewittThe secondment of Robert Saunders is due to start on 1 May 2002. The secondment will be for two years and will be subject to standard contractual terms and conditions applied to all secondments into the Department.
§ Norman BakerTo ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if employees from BP have to sign the Official Secrets Act when they are accepted on secondment to her Department; and if she will make a statement. [52161]
§ Ms HewittWhile neither permanent staff nor secondees have to sign the Official Secrets Act all secondments into the Department are subject to specific contractual terms. The contracts, which are signed by the secondee, make it clear that they are subject to the provisions of the Official Secrets Act 1989 and to certain other Acts which prohibit unauthorised disclosure of various categories of information and that they are therefore required to conform to the Department's security procedures. An explanatory booklet summarising the provisions of the Official Secrets Act 1989 is sent to each secondee with their contract. Additionally the contract makes clear that secondees, like civil servants, are also required to exercise care in handling information that they acquire in the course of their official duties and to protect information that is held in confidence.