asked Her Majesty's Government:

In the case of the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform, how many (a) voluntary and (b) compulsory redundancies have been taken to date as a result of the Gershon review; what is the total departmental bill for each type of redundancy; and what is the natural wastage during the Gershon period to date for the department. [HL1019]

As a result of the Gershon review in July 2004, a total of 736 staff have taken voluntary early retirement or severance and to 1 December 2007 there were seven compulsory redundancies. The total cost of voluntary retirements/severance was £35.4 million and compulsory redundancies was £380,000.

The earliest figures readily available on natural wastage are for the period between April 2005 to March 2006. During this time the natural wastage rate was 5 per cent (180 employees). Between February 2006 to January 2007 the natural wastage rate was 4 per cent (129 employees). The latest figures we have are for the period between September 2006 and October 2007. During this time the natural wastage rate was 5 per cent (149 employees).

Data for natural wastage prior to 2005 are not readily available and the cost of preparing an Answer will be disproportionate to the benefit to be derived.

Natural wastage includes actuarially reduced retirement, approved early retirement, death in service, dismissal for inefficiency/discipline grounds, permanent transfer to other government departments, resignation, retirement, transfer to the non-Civil Service public sector.