Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how much the Environment Agency spent on external recruitment consultants (a) between 31 March 2021 and 30 March 2022 and (b) since 31 March 2022.

In relation to temporary staff, the Environment Agency can report on numbers of employment agency staff and contractors. I refer the hon. Member to the answer given on 17 April 2023 to PQ 175621.

In terms of support for Environment Agency recruitment, the Environment Agency does not hold this information centrally, as it is managed through local budgets. However, the Environment Agency has a contract with a third-party supplier (PeopleScout) to facilitate its current volume recruitment and this includes advertising costs. This is a notional recharge contract for up to £1.8 million and means the Environment Agency saves money on front line managers undertaking volume recruitment themselves. The Environment Agency’s initial evaluation shows this presents good value for money equating to around £700 per new recruit.