Departments: Older Workers

David Simpson

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what percentage of staff in his Department were over 60 years of age in each of the last three years. (145680)

The percentage of staff in DEFRA over 60 in the last three years for which published figures are available was as follows:

As at 1 April each year	Percentage
2003	1.66
2004	1.95
2005	1.78

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 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. (145706)

The number of people over (a) 55 and (b) 60 recruited by DEFRA in the last three years for which published figures are available was as follows:

*Over 55Over 60*
	Number	Percentage	Number	Percentage
2003	10	1.33	<10	—
2004	10	1.37	0	0
2005	10	2.50	<10	—
Note: Figures are rounded to the nearest 10, and those below 10 are not disclosed for privacy reasons.

Volume 462: debated on Thursday 28 June 2007