§ Mr. Andrew TurnerTo ask the Secretary of State for International Development whether(a) his Department and (b) agencies for which it is responsible (i) have a set retirement age which applies to all or most personnel and (ii) have a maximum age beyond which applications for employment will not be considered; and what the age is in each case. [186081]
734W
Mr. Gareth ThomasDFID staff below the Senior Civil Service can retire at age 60. However, they can also choose to work on until age 65 subject to their continued capability and satisfactory service. The normal retirement age for Senior Civil Servants is 60. But, DFID has the flexibility to retain members of the Senior Civil Service beyond age 60 if it is judged to be in the public interest and are satisfied about the fitness and efficiency of the individual to carry out his or her duties. Members of the Senior Appointments Selection Committee (SASC) Group retire at age 60 and DFID must obtain approval from the Cabinet Office before retaining staff in the SASC Group beyond this age.
DFID welcomes job applications from people of all ages. However, applicants are expected to be able to give DFID several years' service, or complete a substantial amount of any fixed term appointment, before retirement. There is no upper age limit for consultants. Consultants have to be suitably qualified, experienced and in a suitable physical condition to ensure that they can comply with all of their obligations under the contract.