Annette Brooke MP asked the Secretary of State for Education how many people employed by (a) his Department and (b) the Young People’s Learning Agency are assigned to work on the Academy Programme; and what the cost to the public purse of the (i) salaries, (ii) national insurance contributions, (iii) pension contributions and (iv) allowances in respect of such staff was in the latest period for which figures are available.
Mr Gibb responded. ‘As at 30 June 2011 there were around 260 people (full time equivalents) in the Department for Education engaged directly in work on policy development and programme delivery related to Academy schools. In addition, there are around 117 staff (full time equivalents) in the Young People’s Learning Agency (YPLA) involved in funding and supporting open Academies. There are other staff both in the Department and in the YPLA who make a contribution to policy development and programme delivery related to Academy schools as part of their wider role.
The latest period for which spending figures are available is the first quarter of this financial year, April to June 2011. The cost to the public purse for this period breaks down as follows.
| Breakdown of costs April to June 2011 | ||
| £ | ||
| DFE | YPLA | |
| Salaries(1) | 2,118,687 | 1,172,766 |
| NI Contributions | 179,633 | 104,795 |
| Pension Contributions | 425,923 | 231,088 |
| Allowances | n/a | 19,021 |
| Total | 2,724,243 | 1,527,670 |
| (1) Salaries includes the cost of agency staff. | ||
Does the list of “expenses” include all the Internet charges for those e-mails that they are being told to send from their own blackberries to avoid FOI requests?