Mr. Robert Watt:

The Public Appointments Service manages most appointments to public positions and it does a fantastic job. The activity it is dealing with now is up 50% or 60% in 2015 compared to 2014. The level and volume of activity and the demand placed on it as we are starting to recruit again is enormous and it is doing a fantastic job within a very constrained budget allocation. We never give it as much money as it wants and it is always under pressure. The Public Appointments Service operates within the code. There are very clear guidelines on how we recruit people. We have a very rigorous, transparent process and because of that, it can take time. There are screening processes, shortlisting, final interviews and then people are placed on panels. It can take three to six months. That can create frustration and delays. If we are going to offer a position to a graduate coming into the Civil Service who may be with us for 20 or 30 years, we need to spend as much time as necessary to ensure we are getting the best candidates and that we are happy with the people we place on panels. I know-----