HC Deb 06 February 2002 vol 379 cc938-9W
Mr. Gordon Marsden

To ask the Deputy Prime Minister and First Secretary of State what proportion of retired senior civil servants have undertaken paid work within the private sector in each of the last five years. [32908]

Mr. Leslie

Figures are not held centrally, but I can answer on behalf of my own Department. Civil servants who wish to take up outside appointments within two years of their retirement are required to seek permission in the circumstances set out in the Business appointment rules. These rules are included in full in the civil Service Management Code.

Within the Cabinet Office in the last five years 18 people have retired from the Senior Civil Service. Of these, four, who retired in the years shown in the table, have submitted applications under the rules to take up paid work in the private sector.

Retirements Made Application to work in the private sector
1997 7
1998 3 1
1999 4 2
2000 3 1
2001 1

Mr. Gordon Marsden

To ask the Deputy Prime Minister and First Secretary of State what proportion of civil servants have spent the whole of their career within a single Department. [32909]

Mr. Leslie

The information, by length of service, is given in the table.

Staff in post by known length of service—April 2001
Headcount
Length of service (years) Staff who remain in the same Department Total staff in post Proportion who remain in the same Department (percentage)
Less than one 33,860 36,900 91.7
1–5 96,700 121,530 79.6
6–10 62,800 78,860 79.6
11–15 63,660 90,530 70.3
16–20 32,640 51,040 64.0
21–25 31.030 51,460 60.3
26–30 20,960 34,250 61.2
31–35 10.170 16,780 60.6
36–40 3,830 6,700 57.2
41–45 740 1,190 62.2
46+ 20 50 38.3
total 356,390 489,270 72.8

This information depends for its accuracy on the reliability of data supplied by Departments to the Cabinet Office's Mandate database. Mandate covers around 97 per cent. of civil servants in Departments supplying information electronically.