To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform how much his Department paid to recruitment agencies in relation to departmental appointments in each year since 1997. (184921)

The Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform, excluding its agencies and NDPBs, can only provide spend on recruitment agencies from the financial year 2004-05. This information, which relates only to the former Department of Trade and Industry, has been extracted from the Department's finance system. Information for other years requested is not readily available on a consistent basis and would be available only at disproportionate cost.

The figures shown in the following table show the total amount paid to recruitment agencies, which includes both the costs for appointing staff to the Department and the salaries paid to these temporary staff members.

Recruitment agency staff are only employed when appropriately skilled permanent staff are not available to fill posts. Such appointments are closely monitored with regard to the continuing need.