To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many and what proportion of his Department’s staff are employed within each salary band; what the title and role of each position within each salary band is; and for each salary band what the (a) bonus structure, (b) retirement provision, (c) expenses provision, (d) total expenses incurred in each of the last 10 years, (e) average age of employee, (f) number of (i) women and (ii) men and (g) ethnic composition is. (171412)

The Department employs 2,875 staff in a wide variety of roles. It was formed as part of the 28 June 2007 machinery of government changes, taking in staff from the former Department for Education and Skills and the Home Office. The following table sets out the number and proportion of men and women employed in each of the general salary bands.

Staff undertake a wide variety of duties in support of my Department’s objectives, including some specialist roles. Titles and roles of each position and other individual information requested could be provided only at disproportionate cost, but I can add the following further information on the work force: the average age of employees across the Department is 43. 442 employees (15.4 per cent.) have identified themselves as Black and Minority Ethnic (BME) staff. Additionally, 585 (20.3 per cent.) have said that they prefer not to say or have not yet declared an ethnicity.

For staff at grade 6 and below, there is a non-consolidated bonus structure that varies according to pay agreements but is negotiated annually with the trade unions and follows Cabinet Office central guidance. For all SCS staff, the bonus arrangements are determined centrally by Cabinet Office. Staff in the Department for Children, Schools and Families participate in the general Principal Civil Service Pension Scheme (PCSPS) determined by Cabinet Office. The PCSPS is an unfunded multi-employer defined benefit scheme. Expenses are claimed according to central and departmental guidance available to all staff. Information on individual expenses claimed in each of the last 10 years could be provided only at disproportionate cost.