Written question asked by Lord Hammond of Runnymede (Conservative) on Wednesday, 20 January 2010, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Monday, 25 January 2010. It was answered by Paul Goggins (Labour) on Friday, 5 February 2010 on behalf of the Northern Ireland Office.

Departmental Manpower

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many employees in (a) his Department and (b) each of its agencies are in transition prior to being managed out; how long on average the transition window between notification and exit has been in (i) his Department and (ii) each of its agencies in each of the last five years; what estimate he has made of the salary costs of staff in transition in each such year; and what proportion of employees in transition were classed as being so for more than six months in each year.

Answer: The following information relates to surplus staff."(a) No Northern Ireland Office (NIO) staff have been "managed out" in the last five years.""(b) In 2009, sixteen staff were "in transition" prior to being managed out to the Youth Justice Agency. The transition window between notification and exit was eight months. Salary costs were approximately £350,000. Five per cent. of these staff were "in transition" for more than six months."

Secondary information