Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, how many staff in his Department (a) did not retain employment following the completion of their probationary period and (b) had their probationary period extended in each of the last five years.

Department for Business and Trade’s (DBT) probation policy and guidance advises managers on the steps to take to assess a new employee’s suitability for the post and to provide support to enable them to succeed. It also advises on the steps to take where performance, attendance or conduct are not satisfactory. This can include exiting the employee or extending their probation to provide further evidence for a final decision on their suitability.

DBT recoded fewer than five staff members who were recruited into the civil service and did not pass their probation, and were subsequently dismissed, since DBT was created in 2023. Information on staff who had their probationary period extended is not available.