Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what the average staffing complement is for a ministerial private office within their Department; what grades those staff are appointed at; what the typical remuneration and contracted working hours are for those posts; and what the staff turnover rate is.

Ministerial private offices within the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology are resourced flexibly to meet business needs, and the size of individual offices varies.

Staff are appointed across a range of grades EO-SCS1.

Remuneration is in line with the Department’s published pay scales for each grade. Contracted working hours are typically 37 hours per week.

Staff turnover rates specific to ministerial private offices are not calculated.

The total number of staff currently working in ministerial private offices in the Department is 35.

An allowance of up to 18% of base salary is available to staff in private offices who meet the relevant eligibility criteria.