To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how many of his Department's employees have been (a) dismissed, (b) suspended and (c) subject to disciplinary action for criminal activity in each year since 1997. (88448)

DFID's disciplinary procedure is fully compliant with UK legislation and applies to civil servants working in the UK and overseas. We also apply it to our locally appointed staff overseas, who work under local contracts, unless local law dictates otherwise. The procedure covers serious criminal or other unlawful acts, which may be regarded as gross misconduct justifying summary dismissal and, in some case, criminal prosecution.

DFID did not hold a central disciplinary record until October 2004. There has been only one disciplinary case, in 2005, relating to an unlawful act involving a locally appointed member of staff overseas which resulted in dismissal.