Written question asked by Dai Davies (Independent (affiliation)) on Thursday, 29 January 2009, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Monday, 2 February 2009. It was answered by Mike O'Brien (Labour) on Tuesday, 24 February 2009 on behalf of the Department of Energy and Climate Change.

Office For Nuclear Development

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how many secondees from the nuclear industrial sector (a) within the UK and (b) abroad have been recruited to the Office of Nuclear Development; for what period each is seconded; who pays their salary; and what criteria were used in their appointment.

Answer: The Office for Nuclear Development (OND) currently employs five secondees from the nuclear industrial sector, or from commercial organisations which have been involved directly in, or in giving advice to clients involved in, the nuclear industry. The organisations who have seconded staff into the OND are Allen and Overy, CH2M Hill, Clifford Chance KPMG, and WS Atkins.Each secondee was recruited from an organisation operating within the UK, although one individual is a non-UK national. The length of secondments in the OND currently ranges from six months to three years.Individuals' salaries continue to be paid by their seconding organisations, but the Department reimburses seconding organisations at a rate appropriate to the equivalent civil service grade.Secondees were appointed on the basis of their experience and ability to contribute to the work and objectives of the OND, and on our being satisfied that there is no conflict of interest in their working for the OND.

Secondary information