Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what information their Department holds on the level of staff retention; and what steps they are taking to improve staff retention.

HMT records monthly turnover data.

HMT launched its People Strategy earlier in 2023. The strategy covers investing in our people, improving employee experience and promotes diversity, inclusion and belonging.

In April 2023, the Cabinet Office published the annual Civil Service Pay Remit guidance for 2023/24, which provides the framework within which all departments set pay for civil servants at staff below SCS for 2023/24. The guidance allowed departments to make average awards of up to 4.5% of their total pay bill and provided additional flexibility to use a further 0.5% of the pay bill to be targeted at lower pay bands.

This year, HMT prioritised within our budget to afford the full remit and have ensured that all staff receive an award of at least 4.5%, with additional targeting across our lower pay bands. The award was implemented on 1 August.

Our performance management process encourages managers to have conversations with their team about development and longer-term career aspirations. We are focusing on career development and retention by reviewing and improving our current Performance Management arrangements, ensuring it reflects our commitments to develop and retain our people and be an inclusive organisation.

We are developing a new wellbeing action plan and running several innovative wellbeing interventions across our 3 sites.

HMT is prioritising the development and progression for our staff through both cross-government, and internal, talent development programmes and internally run learning interventions, including a new leadership and management offer for all managers within the department.