§ Mr. Gordon PrenticeTo ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many people were employed in the departmental file stores in each year since 1997; how many have been transferred to the private sector; and if she will make a statement. [98858]
§ Alun MichaelStaffing levels of the Department's file stores have remained at a fairly consistent level from 1997 to 2003, employing between 15 to 17 full-time posts as the table indicates.
Number 1997 17 1998 17 1999 17 2000 16 2001 16 2002 16 2003 15 No posts have been transferred, or are expected to transfer to the private sector.
At the end of March 2003, one of the Department's main file stores at Hayes will close. It employs seven staff. Three posts are being transferred to manage a new file store contract in Defra's main Headquarter's office, and the Department is actively seeking to re-deploy the four remaining posts on other administrative duties.