Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, for how many months since 2010 the role of Chief Scientific Adviser for his Department has been vacant.

The role of the Chief Scientific Adviser to the Department was vacant for a fifteen month period between 1 October 2010 and 15 January 2012.

The role became vacant again from 1 June 2014, but we are currently advertising for this position. The application deadline was originally due to close on 19 January 2015 but has been extended to 2 February 2015 with permission from the Civil Service Commissioner who is chairing the recruitment panel and permission of the hiring manager, Director General, Resources and Strategy at DFT.