[holding answer 30 October 2006]: The Department issued compulsory redundancy notices to 19 wildlife officers (WOs) on 27 October. These WOs are based on two sites at Polwhele (near Truro) and Aston Down (near Stroud).
There has been no work for the WOs since April 2006, and there is no prospect of future work for the WOs at the WLU sites in future. Although no announcement has been made on any future badger culling policy, Ministers have made it quite clear since last December that, if there was to be a culling policy, it would not be delivered by Government employees. DEFRA can no longer justify retaining these staff when there is no work for them to do.
Every effort has been made to redeploy the WOs affected, including retraining and experience postings. Of the original 77 WOs:
46 have taken voluntary redundancy since April;
12 are on temporary loan or experience posting or secondment and will not be issued with notice at this stage; and
19 remain without work or redeployment, and will be issued with notice on 27 October.
Those issued with notice will have six months’ notice of redundancy during which efforts to redeploy and retrain will continue. The Department remains committed to making every effort to avoid compulsory redundancy. However, in this case, the conclusion has been reached that there is no option and nothing to be gained by any further delay. Consultation with departmental and national unions has taken place, and the Department has followed the guidelines issued to all civil service departments to avoid compulsory redundancies wherever possible.