§ Mr. LawsTo ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many civil servants have been employed by(a) her Department and (b) each of its agencies and non-departmental bodies in each year from 1994–95 to 2002–03; and if she will make a statement. [92397]
§ Ms HewittFull-time equivalent numbers of staff in all civil service Departments and agencies is released twice-yearly by press notice. The latest data, for April 2002, were published on 31 October 2002. Data for April of each year from 1995 to 2001 appear in the latest edition of the annual publication "Civil Service Statistics". Data for pervious years are contained in previous editions of the publication. Copies of the press notices and annual publication are available from the Libraries of the House.
269WComparisons over time are made difficult because of changes in the make up of the Departments and agencies comprising the civil service. Not only do new organisations appear and old ones disappear, but staff changes may reflect the transfer of work between Departments and agencies.
With the exception of those staff employed by the Health and Safety Commission and Executive, and the Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service, the staff employed by Executive, non-departmental public bodies (NDPBs) are not civil servants. Advisory NDPBs are generally supported by civil servants from their sponsor Departments, and do not employ their own staff.
My Department publishes annually information on public bodies, including NDPBs. This includes details on the number of staff employed by the public body. Copies of "Public Bodies 2001", and equivalent publication for previous years, are available in the Libraries of the House. "Public Bodies 2002" will be published shortly.