Written question asked by Steve Webb (Liberal Democrat) on Thursday, 4 March 2010, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Monday, 8 March 2010. It was answered by Lord Knight of Weymouth (Labour) on Tuesday, 30 March 2010 on behalf of the Department for Work and Pensions.

Jobcentre Plus: Recruitment

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how much Jobcentre Plus spent on recruitment in 2008-09; and what proportion of staff costs such expenditure represented.

Answer: The administration of Jobcentre Plus is a matter for the chief executive of Jobcentre Plus, Darra Singh. I have asked him to provide the hon. Member with the information requested.Letter from Darra Singh:"The Secretary of State for Work and Pensions has asked me to respond to your questions asking how much Jobcentre Plus spent on recruitment in 2008-09; and what proportion of staff costs ""such expenditure represented. This is something that falls within the responsibilities delegated to me as Chief Executive of Jobcentre Plus.""There are a variety of activities that contribute to the cost of recruitment including the cost of training staff to undertake recruitment exercises; expenses such as travel and accommodation that may be incurred in attending interviews; the cost of hiring venues where required; publicity costs for recruitment campaigns; security and Criminal Record Bureau (CRB) checks; administration services provided by DWP Shared Service; the cost of Jobcentre Plus staff time spent on recruitment, for example sifting applications and the use of external recruitment providers where necessary. Additionally, we advertise all our vacancies through Jobcentre Plus as a matter of course.""These recruitment costs are not recorded separately within our financial systems so we cannot provide the amount spent on recruitment in Jobcentre Plus in 2008-09.""I hope this information is helpful."

Secondary information