To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the (a) part-time and (b) full-time equivalent permanent staff headcount was for Group Corporate Services in each year since 1998; what the (i) contractor and (ii) temporary staff headcount was over the same period; how much was spent on (A) agency staff and (B) consultants by Group Corporate Services in each such year; and if he will make a statement. (170349)

The present Group Corporate Services (Group Shared Services) was formed on 1 April 2007 and include shared corporate services for HM Treasury and Office of Government Commerce (OGC).

The figures for the previous years represent the headcount and cost of the HR, IS, Estates, Internal Audit and Finance functions of core HM Treasury only.

Headcount and cost figures are available for year 2003 onwards as before this date they are not kept centrally and can be obtained only at disproportionate cost. The same applies about agency staff and contractor headcount details.

The increase of headcount in year 2007-08 is due to the merging of OGC's and HMT's corporate services to create a group shared service. As part of this around 70 staff from the Office of Government Commerce (OGC) transferred to the HM Treasury.

The spend on agency/contractors in the current financial year (up to October 2007) is no higher than previous years and it is anticipated that it will be below the total spend of the previous year.