Departmental Staff Hugh Bayley To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many jobs his Department and its agencies had (a) in York and (b) at the Central Science Laboratory site at Sand Hutton in each year since 1992. Barry Gardiner [holding answer 30 October 2006]: The information requested is as follows: ------------------------ | |Number| ------------------------ |As at: | | ------------------------ |1 November 2004|367 | ------------------------ |1 April 2005 |378 | ------------------------ |1 April 2006 |403 | ------------------------ ------------------------ | |Number| ------------------------ |As at: | | ------------------------ |1 November 2004|182 | ------------------------ |1 April 2005 |198 | ------------------------ |1 April 2006 |198 | ------------------------ ----------------------------- | |Number| ----------------------------- |1996 |1— | ----------------------------- |1997 |431 | ----------------------------- |1998 |431 | ----------------------------- |1999 |443 | ----------------------------- |2000 |587 | ----------------------------- |2001 |592 | ----------------------------- |2002 |629 | ----------------------------- |2003 |656 | ----------------------------- |2004 |645 | ----------------------------- |2005 |660 | ----------------------------- |2006 |648 | ----------------------------- |1 No data available.| | ----------------------------- The MHS employed the following numbers of staff at its headquarters in York: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |Financial year |HQ staff| -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |1995-96 |39 | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |1996-97 |55 | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |1997-98 |73 | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |1998-99 |80 | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |1999-2000 |80 | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |Note: Excludes individuals such as contractors who may have been working on site.| | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- We are unable to provide data from 1994 (when the York site opened) up to 2003 as the work needed to provide this data would result in disproportionate costs. Dr. Cable To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many staff in his Department received bonus payments in each of the last five years for which information is available; what proportion of the total work force they represented; what the total amount of bonuses paid has been; what the largest single payment was in each year; and if he will make a statement. Barry Gardiner The following table shows details of bonuses awarded to staff in DEFRA in each financial year since November 2004. Data prior to November 2004, is available only at disproportionate cost. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |Period |Number of staff awarded bonuses|Proportion of work force (percentage)|Total amount of bonuses paid (£)|Highest bonus (£)| -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |November 2004 to March 2005 |1513 |6.7 |179,879 |7,616 | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |April 2005 to March 2006 |23,535 |44.9 |3,364,032 |34,040 | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |April 2006 to October 2006 |31,019 |13.9 |1,362,657 |15,000 | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |(November) 2006 |4(1,680) |(23.1) |(2,933,611) |— | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |1 These figures represents in-year performance bonuses only, paid to staff at grade 6 or below.2 This figure represents annual performance bonuses paid to staff in the SCS and at grade 6 and below. In addition it also includes in-year performance bonuses paid to staff at grade 6 and below.3 This figure represents annual performance bonuses paid to staff in the SCS only and in-year performance bonuses paid to staff at grade 6 and below.4 This figure includes annual performance bonuses about to be paid to staff at grade 6 and below in November salaries.| | | | | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Separate performance bonus arrangements operate for staff in the SCS and those at Grade 6 and below. For the SCS: Non-consolidated cash payments, otherwise known as bonuses, reward in-year performances in relation to agreed objectives, or short term personal contribution to wider organisational objectives. Bonuses are paid in addition to base pay increases and do not count towards pension. Bonuses are allocated by Departments from a “pot” expressed as a percentage of the SCS salary bill, which is agreed centrally each year following the SSRB recommendations. The intention is that bonus decisions should be differentiated in order to recognise the most significant deliverers of in-year performance. For staff at grade 6 and below: The High Performance Bonus Awards scheme introduced in April 2005, provide DEFRA staff with recognition and reward for delivery of an outstanding outcome or performance that significantly exceeds normal expectations. The process should provide staff at all grades with an opportunity to earn a bonus, and ensure that achievements in operational, policy and corporate services areas are recognised as being of equal esteem. There are two types of award: In-year high performance bonuses paid to individuals or teams in recognition of one-off achievements during the year; and Annual high performance bonuses which are paid to the top 10 per cent. of performers in each DG for delivery of an outstanding outcome or performance sustained throughout the whole year. Mr. Paice To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much was paid to former departmental employees on gardening leave in each of the last five years. Barry Gardiner “Gardening leave” is used very infrequently in exceptional circumstances and as a last resort; redeployment options and project work are always considered first. Decisions are taken at a business level and depend on circumstances and business need. Details, including costs, of such leave for former employees are not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.