Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, how many temporary contracts involving staff previously employed by the Department for International Development (DfID) in (a) London, (b) East Kilbride and (c) overseas offices have not been renewed following the merger of DfID and his Department.

Temporary contracts, in the form of agency workers and contractors, are used to fill short-term and immediate vacancies when all other routes to fill have been explored in line with departmental and civil service resourcing policies and processes.

By their very nature, they are set up for an agreed period of time and would not routinely be renewed.