Headquarters Staff (Hansard, 14 May 2004)

§ Mr. Letwin
To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills pursuant to his answer of 19 April 2004,Official Report, column 41W, how many headquarters staff there were in his Department as at 17 March. [171391]

§ Mr. Charles Clarke
As at 1 April 2004, my Department employed 4,487 staff. Staffing numbers are produced quarterly.

§ Mr. Letwin
To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills pursuant to his answer of 19 April 2004,Official Report, column 41W, on headquarters staff, what information is being provided to staff regarding plans to reduce the number of headquarters staff in his Department; and if he will place a copy of that information in the Library. [171409]

§ Mr. Charles Clarke
Staff received the latest in the series of messages from the Permanent Secretary on 30 April 2004 which set the context for the changes and explained how the reductions will be achieved. In addition, staff have been given information on the Human Resource policies to support the transition. Senior managers have written to staff in their parts of the Department and are discussing the changes with them. A copy of the Permanent Secretary's message will be placed in the House of Commons Library.

§ Mr. Letwin
To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills pursuant to his answer of 19 April 2004,Official Report, column 41W, on headquarters staff, when he expects the first reductions in the number of headquarters staff in his Department to be made. [171410]

§ Mr. Charles Clarke
The Department plans to reduce its size by 850 posts by April 2006 and a further 610 posts by April 2008, based on the full time equivalent staff in post, figures as at October 2003 (4660). Reductions will be spread throughout that period and the Department intends to make the first reductions of staff by the end of 2004.

§ Mr. Letwin
To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills pursuant to his answer of 19 April 2004,Official Report, column 41W, on headquarters staff, what discussions he has had with trade unions regarding his plans to reduce the number of headquarters staff in his Department. [171411]

§ Mr. Charles Clarke
I met the Trade Unions in my Department on 25 March 2004 and plan to do so again in June.
More generally there have been regular and constructive discussions between management and the unions about the reductions and how they will achieved.