To ask the Secretary of State for Transport 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. (226805)

The figures in the following table have been sourced from the Central Department and its agencies and show expenditure on recruitment consultancies and external advertising combined. These figures could not be split due to reporting variances across the Department.

The larger figure in 2005-06 represents a major campaign by the Highways Agency to recruit Traffic Officers.

The table showing Recruitment Consultancies used has been placed in the Libraries of the House. This represents recruitment consultancies used throughout the past five financial years however, some agencies could provide these data only at disproportionate cost.