Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what data his Department holds on (a) the number of people working in civil service roles in each Department who are on secondment from business and (b) the sectors and industries from which those people have been seconded.

Secondments into the Civil Service from other sectors are encouraged as a means of bringing in high demand skills, enabling talented individuals from outside the Civil Service to contribute to the work of Government by sharing critical capabilities and innovative thinking for a set period of time.

Although work is ongoing to increase data flow in this area, the Cabinet Office does not at present hold detailed data on the total number of people in the Civil Service on secondment from business nor the sectors and industries from which those people have been seconded.