Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the Answer of 18 September 2004 to Question 4680 on Civil Service, how many staff in the Cabinet Office have no post.

At any point in time, there is likely to be a small number of individuals who have been displaced due to restructures within their business units or, for example, have returned from a loan from another department and their role no longer exists. The exact number changes on a day-to-day basis.

These individuals are attached to the Skills Match Hub but remain in their business units and are managed by their line managers to ensure they continue to receive meaningful work and are appropriately supported, while they work through the redeployment process.

As was the case under the previous administration, any new vacancies in Cabinet Office cannot be advertised until the role has been reviewed first by the Skills Match Hub for a possible match to anyone currently registered. If there are no suitable candidates registered, the vacancy can then be advertised.