To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how much (a) his Department and (b) its executive agencies spent on (i) recruitment consultants and (ii) external recruitment advertising to recruit staff in each of the last five financial years; which recruitment consultants were employed for those purposes in each of those years; and if he will make a statement. (226807)

My Department was established on 28 June 2007. The costs paid to recruitment consultants and for external recruitment advertising for senior civil service (SCS) recruitment from 28 June 2007 to the end of the financial year was £213,343. The recruitment consultants employed for these purposes were all drawn from the Cabinet Office Framework agreement.

The costs for vacancies below SCS level are not recorded in the form requested and figures could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

The Department has no agencies.