§ Mr. BercowTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many staff in his Department have been seconded to jobs in the(a) private and (b) public sector in each of the last four years. [31783]
§ Hilary BennSecondments are part of the Interchange initiative, which promotes the exchange of people and good practice between the Civil Service and other organisations. All sectors of the economy are442W involved: Voluntary, Education, Health, Public and Private. Interchange provides opportunities for civil servants to learn new skills, widen their experience and develop ideas. It also brings in skills and experiences from other sectors.
The number of Home Office staff seconded out to private and public sector organisations is set out in the table. Information for 2001–02 is not yet available.
1998–99 1999–2000 2000–01 2001–02 Private sector 2 3 11 — Public sector *162 *80 *94 — *The figures given for Home Office staff seconded to the public sector include posts overseas.