PARLIAMENTARY WRITTEN QUESTION
Employment Agencies (27 January 2015)

In each of the years 2010-11, 2011-12, 2012-13 and 2013-14, two staff were directly recruited by the Department via an employment or recruitment agency. No staff have been directly recruited to date in 2014-15.

These figures exclude public appointments and Cabinet Office recruitment. I would note that my previous answer of 2 February 2015, Question 222078, on the number of agencies used, included the recruitment of one public appointment in 2013-14.

My Department has reduced staffing costs from £218 million a year in 2009-10 to £95 million in 2013-14. There is and remains a need to replace staff from general turnover and where we need specific technical skills. We are committed to open recruitment, so we can obtain individual staff with the best expertise from the private sector, the voluntary sector and other parts of the public sector.