Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

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

MHCLG’s 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.

(a) The number of staff who were not retained for employment following completion of their probationary period was fewer than or equal to five in each of the last five years.

(b) Information on staff whose probationary period was extended was not held centrally prior to 2024-25. For the last two years, for which data is available, the number of staff who had their probationary period extended was also fewer than or equal to five in each year.