§ Mr. McNamaraTo ask the hon. Member for Roxburgh and Berwickshire (Mr. Kirkwood), representing the House of Commons Commission, how many specialist advisers have been employed since 1997 by each select committee; what was the duration of their contract and scale of remuneration; in each case, whether the post was openly advertised; what the total cost of special advisers was, broken down by committee; and if he will break down the numbers of special advisers by(a) sex and (b) ethnic origin. [57159]
§ Mr. KirkwoodLists of specialist advisers appointed by each select committee in the last Parliament and their cost are contained in the Sessional Returns ordered to be printed by the House on 25 January 1999 (HC142), 16 December 1999 (HC1), 5 February 2001 (HC100) and 20 July 2001 (HC1). The equivalent information so far in the current Session is being assembled and will be placed in the Library.
The arrangements for the selection of candidates are the responsibility of individual select committees, not of the House of Commons Commission. Committees normally appoint specialist advisers for a particular subject or a particular inquiry. Typically, an appointment remains valid until the end of a Parliament in case a committee returns to a subject. Specialist advisers are not House employees but are paid as contractors. Details of duration of their appointment and scale of remuneration are collated by each committee separately. Daily rates, which are currently under review, range up to £150. As specialist advisers are not employees of the House, we have no separate record by gender and ethnic origin.