Written question asked by Desmond Swayne (Conservative) on Tuesday, 26 November 2002, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Thursday, 5 December 2002. It was answered by Elliot Morley (Labour) on Thursday, 5 December 2002 on behalf of the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.

Dept for Environment Food and Rural Affairs

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will end the moratorium imposed on Horticulture Research International regarding scientific staff; and if she will make a statement.

Answer: Mr. Swayne: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will end the moratorium imposed on Horticulture Research International regarding scientific staff; and if she will make a statement. [84136] Mr. Morley: Horticulture Research International (HRI) is in a loss-making situation. Following discussions with Defra, HRI agreed to introduce a moratorium on staff recruitment to help contain its operating costs. HRI will fill vacant posts by external recruitment only where such posts are essential to its business and where it has been unable to fill them through internal redeployment. The Department considers that this is a financially responsible course of action. The moratorium will be reviewed in due course in the light of HRI's financial situation and the decisions which the Department expects to take shortly about the future of the organisation.

Secondary information