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12 Oct 2009 : Column 284W—continued
Departmental Manpower
Justine Greening: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent estimate he has made of the average length of employment of staff of his Department at each Civil Service payband. [290524]
Dan Norris: The average (median) length of service in years for staff in each grade in DEFRA and its agencies as at 31 March 2009 is shown in the following table.
| Grade | DEFRA | AH | CEFAS | CSL | GDS | MFA | RPA | VLA | VMD |
| (1) Where there are fewer than five staff in the grade, the information is withheld for confidentiality reasons. | |||||||||
Departmental Marketing
Mr. Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs with reference to the answer of 25 November 2008, Official Report, column 1171W, on departmental marketing, how many staff in his Department are responsible for branding activity; and what the cost of employing such staff was in 2008-09. [290293]
Dan Norris: One person in my Department is involved in branding activity on a regular basis dealing with questions from customers and stakeholders on use of the brand and the provision of logos and other collateral. This is not a full-time role. It occupies around 20 per cent. of the individual's time. The cost in 2008-09 is estimated to have been £10,700.
Departmental Paternity Leave
Justine Greening: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many staff took paternity leave from his Department in each of the last five years; and what the average duration of such leave was in each such year. [290527]
Dan Norris: DEFRA provides paternity leave to allow partners to support the prime carer and spend time with a new child following a birth or adoption.
The number of staff who took paternity leave and the average length of such leave in DEFRA and its agencies is shown in the following table.
| Number of staff | Average length of leave (days) | |
| Key: AH =Animal Health Agency CEFAS = Centre for Environment Fisheries and Aquaculture Science CSL = Central Science Laboratory GDS = Government Decontamination Service MFA = Marine and Fisheries Agency RPA = Rural Payments Agency VLA = Veterinary Laboratories Agency VMD = Veterinary Medicines Directorate | ||
Departmental Pay
Justine Greening: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what employee reward schemes are offered to staff of his Department; what the purpose of each scheme is; how many staff participate in each scheme; and what the cost of operating each scheme was in each of the last five years. [290530]
Dan Norris: In addition to base pay, DEFRA operates a number of performance related pay schemes which are available to all staff in the Department.
For the Senior Civil Service (SCS)
Non-consolidated performance related variable pay rewards in-year performances in relation to agreed objectives, or short term personal contribution to wider organisational objectives. Such payments are paid in addition to base pay increases and do not count towards pension.
Performance related variable pay is allocated by Departments from a 'pot' expressed as a percentage of the SCS salary bill, which is agreed centrally each year following the Senior Salaries Review Body recommendations. The intention is that such payments should be differentiated in order to recognise those who have performed most significantly during the year.
The following table shows the number and total amount of performance payments awarded to SCS in core-DEFRA and its Executive Agencies in each of the last four years. Due to systems changes, data prior to 2005-06 are available only at disproportionate cost.
| £ | ||
| Number of payments | Total value | |
For staff at Grade 6 and below
The performance related variable pay scheme provides staff in DEFRA and those agencies covered by the core-Department's reward arrangements, with recognition and reward for delivery of an outstanding outcome or performance that significantly exceeds normal expectations. The process provides staff at all grades with an opportunity to earn such an award, and ensure that achievements in operational, policy and corporate services areas are recognised as being of equal esteem. Such payments are paid in addition to base pay increases and do not count toward pension.
In-year performance payments, up to a maximum of £750, paid to individuals or teams in recognition of one-off achievements during the year; and
Annual performance payments that, in 2007 and 2008, were paid to the top 10 per cent. of performers for delivery of an outstanding outcome or performance sustained throughout the whole year.
The following table shows the number and total amount of annual and in-year performance payments awarded to staff in core-DEFRA (including staff who transferred to DECC in October 2008) and those Executive Agencies covered by DEFRA terms and conditions at that time. Due to systems changes, data prior to 2005-06 are available only at disproportionate cost.
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