To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how much his Department spent on exit packages for its staff in (a) 2011-12 and (b) 2012-13; and how much of this sum was spent on compulsory redundancies.

The information requested is on page 105 of the Ministry of Justice's annual report and accounts 2012-13 (HC 22). This can be found at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/ministry-of-justice-annual-report-and-accounts-2012-13

Excluding Probation Trusts, redundancy and other departure costs have been paid in accordance with the provisions of the Civil Service Compensation scheme, a statutory scheme made under the Superannuation Act 1972. Where the Department has agreed early retirements, the additional costs are met by the Department and not by the Principal Civil Service Pension scheme.

For Probation Trusts, redundancy and other departure costs have been paid in accordance with the Trust's redundancy policy. The Trusts pay the statutory minimum redundancy allocation based on age and length of service as set out in the Employment Rights Act 1996 and, where applicable, subject to the Pension Plan and Redundancy rules, meets the additional costs of early retirement.

Ill health retirement costs are met by the pension scheme and are not included in the information published in the annual report and accounts.

Exit costs are accounted for in full in the year the exit package is confirmed.