To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department from which companies his Department sourced temporary staff in each of the last three years; how many temporary staff his Department employed in each year; and what the monetary value of the contracts with each such company was in each such year. (320011)

The Home Department sources temporary staff of all kinds from a range of companies from small-scale, niche suppliers to large companies with national coverage. Since such individuals are not Home Office employees, the amalgamated information sought is not held centrally and attempting to assemble it could not be undertaken without incurring disproportionate cost. In terms of monetary values, the Department is able to provide the following information on its expenditure in the last three years through contracts with some of its leading suppliers of temporary staff in those years. The spend in this category is being realigned and is currently reckoned at some £13 million per annum, which in 2008-09 represented less than 1 per cent. of total expenditure by the Home Office and its agencies of £1,749 million. All figures provided are subject to accounting adjustment and amendment.