To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what percentage of staff in his Department were over 60 years of age in each of the last three years. (145691)

This information is not systematically recorded and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many people aged (a) over 55 years of age and (b) over 60 years of age have been recruited by his Department in each of the last three years; and what percentage in each case this is of the number of new recruits in each year. (145696)

The Wales Office has only recruited existing civil servants. In accordance with good practice and anti-age discrimination, candidates for Wales Office jobs are not asked to provide their dates of birth on applications.

As such, this information is not systematically recorded, and collating it could be achieved only at disproportionate cost.