Civil Servants

HC Deb 13 March 2002 vol 381 cc1112-3W

Mr. Burstow

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many new entrants to the Civil Service were employed in his Department in each of the last five years; and how many in each year were aged 50 and over. [36495]

Ruth Kelly

[holding answer 25 February 2002]: The table provides the information requested.

Ruth Kelly

I refer my hon. Friend to the answer given by the Minister of State, Cabinet Office on 4 March 2002,Official Report column 80W. Bristol, East, along with the rest of the United Kingdom, is benefiting from the long-term action we have taken since 1997 to build economic stability and secure high and stable levels of growth and employment. Claimant count unemployment in the constituency, for example, fell by over 737, or 21 per cent., between May 1997 and May 1998; and has fallen by a further 900, or 32 per cent., since May 1998¹.

Macroeconomic stability is being complemented at the microeconomic level by the Government's policies to ease the transition from welfare into work and to make work pay for lower and middle income families, and to reduce child poverty. The Government are also committed to enabling all persons to share in the country's rising prosperity. The numbers of beneficiaries of the new deal, the working families tax credit, child benefit, state retirement pension, winter fuel payments, free TV licences and minimum income guarantee in the Bristol, East constituency are given in the table. These data are also available in the Library of the House of Commons.

Mr. Bercow

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement on the extent of job sharing in his Department. [41009]

Ruth Kelly

The Treasury does not employ any members of staff on job share contracts. There are 16 job sharers, filling eight posts, but these are individually employed on part-time contracts.

Job sharing is only one of a number of alternative and flexible working patterns that employees are welcome to take up. These include part-time working, compressed hours, job-sharing, home working, term-time or part-year working and flexible working hours.

Treasury also have an internal electronic notice board where staff can register their interest in job share and part time opportunities.

Most recruitment to Treasury is generally advertised as available for a range of alternative working patterns. However there are always some occasions where due to the nature of the work, this is not possible.