To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many and what proportion of senior civil servants in his Department were awarded a bonus in 2009; and what the (a) highest, (b) lowest, (c) mean, (d) median and (e) mode bonus awarded was. (325497)

Non-consolidated performance payments are made to staff in the senior civil service in line with Cabinet Office Guidance. In 2009 performance payments were made to 37 senior civil servants which is 58.7 per cent. of the senior civil servants in the Department. The highest payment (a) was £11,000, the lowest (b) was £1,800, the mean payment (c) was £7,762, the median payment (d) was £7,570 and the mode payment (e) was £6,450.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many and what proportion of his Department's Board members who were civil servants working in his Department were awarded a bonus in (a) 2008 and (b) 2009; and what the highest bonus paid was in each year. (325498)

In 2008 there were 12 board members of which 11 received a bonus, which constitutes 91.7 per cent. of the Board. The highest bonus paid was £18,000.

In 2009 there were nine board members of which six received a bonus, which constitutes 66.7 per cent. of the Board. The highest bonus paid was £11,000.