Question

To ask the right hon. Member for Carshalton and Wallington, representing the House of Commons Commission, how much has been paid since May 2015 to head hunters by (a) the House of Commons Commission, (b) the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association, (c) the Inter-Parliamentary Union, (d) the British American Parliamentary Group and (e) any other body grant-funded by the House of Commons Commission.

Since May 2015 the House of Commons Commission has made payments totalling £203,676 to Executive Search recruitment agencies (‘head hunters’). This includes fees for online and press advertising, where appropriate, for which the agencies pay and for which we reimburse them. I have asked the House authorities to send to the hon. Member contact details of the responsible officers of the grant-funded bodies so that he can seek that information from them. The Commission does not require them to report on any use of head hunters or the costs of any such use.