To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many staff there were in his Department (a) in 1997 and (b) on the latest date for which figures are available. (292064)

According to the Departmental Report for 1998, there were 4,486 full time equivalent (FTE) civil servants in the 1996-97 financial year.

According to the Departmental Report for 2009 annual report there were 2,222 FTE civil servants in the 2008-09 financial year.

The Departmental Reports for the above years and the intervening years can be found at:

www.dh.gov.uk/en/Publicationsandstatistics/Publications/AnnualReports/index.htm#jumpTol