To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions pursuant to the answer of 24 February 2009, Official Report, column 626W, on departmental recruitment, what estimate he has made of the annual salary cost of the new (a) permanent, (b) temporary and (c) agency staff recruited in each year since 2005-06. (264242)

The overall pay bill cost for permanent and temporary staff employed by the Department in each year from 2005-06 to 2007-08 is published in the departmental report 2008. We are unable to identify the costs of newly recruited staff or agency staff without incurring disproportionate cost.