To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the answer of 18 June 2009, Official Report, column 444W, on HM Revenue and Customs: manpower, how many grades of officer there are in HM Revenue and Customs. (282153)

In HM Revenue and Customs there are nine main grades of officer:

1. Administration assistant

2. Assistant officer

3. Officer

4. Higher officer

5. Senior officer

6. Fast stream/trainee

7 Grade 7

8. Grade 6

9. Senior civil servant (SCS).

The SCS grade can be broken down further:

(a) SCS 1

(b) SCS 1A

(c) SCS 2

(d) SCS 3.