PARLIAMENTARY WRITTEN QUESTION
Employment Agencies (19 March 2015)

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, how much has been paid to recruitment agencies by (a) his Department and (b) its executive agencies and associated bodies in each year since 2010.

Asked by:
Pat McFadden (Labour)

The following table shows the total amount paid to all recruitment agencies used by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office for each year since 2010/11. Our records for 2010/11 and 2011/12 did not include the cost of advertising. Records for subsequent years have included the cost of advertising.

2010/11	£238,416.80
2011/12	£80,867.21
2012/13	£275,515.25
2013/14	£255,777.10
2014/15 (year to date)	£101,869.75

Recruitment agencies are selected through a competitive tendering exercise to ensure value for money.

Over the same years the following amounts were paid to recruitment agencies used by executive agencies and associated bodies of the FCO (FCO Services, Wilton Park, British Council, Great Britain China Centre, Marshall Aid Commemoration Commission and Westminster Foundation for Democracy).

2010/11	£5,955.00
2011/12	£18,287.79
2012/13	£13,351.37
2013/14	£34,485.87
2014/15 (year to date)	£64,694.71

Answered by:
Mr Tobias Ellwood (Conservative)
25 March 2015