Consolidated Resource Accounts

Mr. Hayes
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Hemel Hempstead (Mike Penning) of 9 March 2006, Official Report, column 1727W, on consolidated resource accounts, what the nature is of the cases referred to under parts (b) and (d) of the Special Payments losses.

Jim Fitzpatrick
Regarding the nature of the cases referred to under part (b):

Three payments were made to ex-members of DTI staff whose employment was terminated on inefficiency grounds. The payments, amounting to £33,487, relate to increases in compensation payments made to individuals following their appeal to the civil service Appeals Board. The payments represent 0.01 per cent. of the total value of the Department’s staff costs.

Regarding the nature of the cases referred to under part (d):

Miscellaneous payments to DTI staff for damage to property, personal injury and miscalculations of entitlement amounting to £78,274 can be broken down as follows:

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
|Description                                                                                                                                                                                                                 |£     |
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
|An overpayment of pension benefits due to an error in the pension calculation of an ex-employee. When the error came to light the DTI had to re-imburse Cabinet Office as the original payment had been met from their vote.|24,000|
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
|A payment to an individual who retired on compulsory early retirement terms. The sum represents 3 months salary in lieu of notice.                                                                                          |18,000|
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
|Payments were made to a member of staff at Westfield House to cover compensation for personal injury and related legal fees.                                                                                                |15,000|
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
|A payment was made under the Disability Discrimination Act in an out of court settlement following a harassment complaint from a member of staff.                                                                           |7,000 |
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
|A payment was made to a former employee to settle a possible tribunal case, arising from alleged discrimination under the Disability Discrimination Act.                                                                    |2,500 |
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
|Payments made to cover damage to Government or Government-hired vehicles.                                                                                                                                                   |1,450 |
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
|Minor payments, less than £1,000 each, were made for personal injury claims.                                                                                                                                                |10,325|
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
|Total                                                                                                                                                                                                                       |78,275|
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------