§ Mr. BercowTo ask the Secretary of State for International Development how many staff in her Department, agencies and non-departmental public bodies receive paid leave to undertake union duties; how-many days they are allocated; and what has been the cost to public funds in each of the last four years. [36215]
§ Clare ShortThere are 18 members of staff who are entitled to paid leave to undertake union duties in addition to two full time representatives of the Public and Commercial Services Union; in practice, one of two may take up that entitlement in any one year. There is no formally agreed number of days, each case being handled on its merits. The estimated cost to public funds in each of the last four years has been as follows:
Year £ 1998 356 1999 96 2000 155 2001 175