| Previous Section | Back to Table of Contents | Lords Hansard Home Page |
The department also operates a scheme for all staff below the Senior Civil Service under which individuals or teams may receive a small non-consolidated award in recognition of an outstanding contribution over a limited period. The maximum payment made under these arrangements is £600 but records are not available to show the number of payments made under this scheme.
To ask Her Majesty's Government for each of the past three years for which figures are available, how many people were eligible for performance bonuses and special bonuses in the Department for Culture, Media and Sport and its agencies, by civil service band; how many people received each type of bonus, by civil service band; what the average payment was for each type of bonus, by civil service band; and what the maximum payment was for each type of bonus, by civil service band [HL35]
Lord Davies of Oldham: An element of the DCMS overall pay award is allocated to non-consolidated variable pay related to performance. These payments are used to drive high performance and form part of the pay award for members of staff who demonstrate exceptional performance, for example by exceeding targets set or meeting challenging objectives.
Non-consolidated variable pay awards are funded from within existing pay bill controls, and have to be re-earned each year against pre-determined targets and, as such, do not add to future pay bill costs. The percentage of the pay bill set aside for performance-related awards for the SCS is based on recommendations from the independent Senior Salaries Review Body.
The table below details how many people were eligible for and received a non-consolidated variable pay awards and the average and the maximum payment for a non-consolidated variable pay award, by civil
14 Jan 2010 : Column WA177
The department, and its executive agency, make non-consolidated performance payments to its employees for two purposes: (a) in-year non-consolidated performance payments to reward outstanding contributions in particularly demanding tasks or situations; and (b) year-end non-consolidated performance payments to reward highly successful performance
14 Jan 2010 : Column WA178
These figures cover all civil servants on standard terms. They are exclusive of two key senior staff in the Government Olympic Executive, who were appointed on non-standard terms with fixed-term contracts ending in 2012 and whose remuneration reflects extensive relevant experience and the unique challenge of delivering the Olympics to a fixed deadline. Details of their remuneration were published in the departmental annual reports and accounts 2009.
The Department of Culture, Media and Sport DCMS
As the number of SCS employed by the Royal Parks is less than five, this information has not been disclosed due to reasons of confidentiality.
Government: Correspondence
Question
To ask Her Majesty's Government how many letters were received by Ministers from MPs and Peers in 2009; and which department was (a) the best, and (b) the worst, in meeting the target times for replying to such correspondence. [HL1136]
The Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster (Baroness Royall of Blaisdon): The Cabinet Office publishes, on an annual basis, a report to Parliament on the performance of departments in replying to Members' and Peers' correspondence. Information for 2009 is currently being compiled and will be published as soon as it is ready.
A copy of the report for 2008 can be accessed at http://www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/propriety_and_ethics /publications/correspondence_2008.aspx and is available in the Library of the House.
Government: Ministerial Visits
Questions
To ask Her Majesty's Government how many times Government officials travelled to Dublin in 2009; what modes of transport they used; and what the total cost was. [HL949]
Lord Brett: This information is not held centrally and is only available at disproportionate cost.
14 Jan 2010 : Column WA179
To ask Her Majesty's Government what is the cross-departmental policy regarding visits by MPs to Government establishments in the run-up to a general election; what establishments are covered by the policy; where the policy is published; and how the time when the policy applies is calculated. [HL1024]
The Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster (Baroness Royall of Blaisdon): On the announcement of a general election, the Cabinet Office issues guidance on the handling of departmental business, including visits to government establishments, during the pre-election period. The 2005 general election guidance is in the Libraries of both Houses, and can be found on the Cabinet Office website http://www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/media/cabinetoffice/propriety_and_ethics/assets/electguide.pdf.
Government: Office Equipment
Question
To ask Her Majesty's Government further to the Written Answer by the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, Barbara Follett, on 9 December 2009 (Official Report, House of Commons, col. 390W), what was the average purchase price, excluding value added tax, of a 500 sheet ream of white A4 80 gsm photocopier paper paid by the Department of Energy and Climate Change in the latest period for which figures are available. [HL1032]
The Minister of State, Department of Energy and Climate Change (Lord Hunt of Kings Heath): The Department of Energy and Climate Change purchases white, A4 80 gsm photocopier paper at £1.67 per ream excluding value added tax. The paper provided is 100 per cent recycled.
Government: Scottish Ministers
Question
Asked by Lord Foulkes of Cumnock
To ask Her Majesty's Government who is responsible for the terms and conditions of service of the Permanent Secretary of the Scottish Government. [HL1146]
Baroness Crawley: The Civil Service Order in Council 1995 gives the Minister for the Civil Service the power to make regulations and give instructions for the management of the Home Civil Service. The Civil Service Management Code then sets out regulations and instructions to departments and agencies regarding the terms and conditions of service of civil servants. It also sets out the delegations that have been made by the Minister for the Civil Service and any conditions attached to those delegations.
14 Jan 2010 : Column WA180
In relation to the Senior Civil Service, a number of terms and conditions of service are set and managed centrally so come under the authority of the Minister of the Civil Service, administered by the Cabinet Office. The delegated terms and conditions of service come under the authority of the individual to whom they have been delegated. In relation to civil servants supporting the Scottish Government, who are members of the unified Home Civil Service, this would be the First Minister, administered by the Scottish Government.
The Civil Service Management Code, which sets out which terms and conditions are centrally set and managed centrally and which are delegated, is available at http://www.civilservice.gov.uk/about/resources/csmc /index.aspx.
Health: Bilateral Agreements
Question
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether the United Kingdom has bilateral health agreements with (a) Azerbaijan, (b) Kazakhstan, (c) Georgia, (d) Armenia, (e) Moldova, (f) Guernsey, and (g) the Isle of Man; and if so, whether there are proposals to bring any of those agreements to an end. [HL1010]
Baroness Thornton: The United Kingdom Government have held agreements with all of the countries listed. The agreement with the Channel Islands (which includes Guernsey) ended with effect from 1 April 2009 and the agreement with the Isle of Man is due to end with effect from 1 April 2010. There are no current plans to end the other agreements, which do not involve the UK Government providing a financial allocation.
Health: Vaccinations
Questions
To ask Her Majesty's Government further to the Written Answer by Lord Darzi of Denham on 25 March 2008 (WA 81), how many current members of the emergency services have been vaccinated for anthrax. [HL1093]
Baroness Thornton: Decisions about vaccination are made on the basis of a risk assessment of the potential threat. To date, no members of the emergency services have been vaccinated against anthrax. As part of our national emergency preparedness strategy, a stockpile of licensed anthrax vaccine is maintained.
To ask Her Majesty's Government further to the Written Answer by Lord Darzi of Denham on 25 March 2008 (WA 81), how many current members of the emergency services have been vaccinated for smallpox; how many of those have had adverse complications; and what is the status of the programme of vaccination which commenced in 2008. [HL1094]
| Next Section | Back to Table of Contents | Lords Hansard Home Page |