Senator Ludwig asked the Minister representing the Attorney-General, upon notice, on 30 April 2003:

(1) (a) How many staff currently hold: (i) ongoing, and (ii) non-ongoing, positions in the Human Rights Branch; and (b) what is the Australian Public Service (APS) level of these positions.

(2) (a) How many ongoing and non-ongoing staff based elsewhere in the department are working on human rights matters; and (b) what is the APS level of these staff.

(3) (a) Which positions are currently vacant in the Human Rights Branch; and (b) how long have they been vacant.

(4) Since the additional estimates hearings in February 2003, how many staff have left the Human Rights Branch.

(5) What is currently the average period of service of staff in the Human Rights Branch.

(6) Since the additional estimates hearings in February 2003, what has been the absentee rate for: (a) sick leave (including workers compensation leave); (b) annual leave; (c) miscellaneous paid leave; and (d) long service leave, in the Human Rights Branch, and in the department as a whole.

(7) What involvement did the Human Rights Branch have in the development of the Australian Human Rights Commission Bill 2003.

Senator Ellison (Minister for Justice and Customs) —The Attorney-General has provided the following answer to the honourable senator's question:

The Attorney-General provides the following information based on advice from the Attorney-General's Department current as at 26 May 2003:

(1) 12 on-going and 4 non-ongoing staff in the Human Rights Branch work on human rights matters. Seven other staff who hold ongoing positions in the Branch are elsewhere. Three are acting in higher level positions outside the Branch, one is on leave to work in the Attorney-General's office, and three are overseas (studying, accompanying a partner and doing volunteer work). The following table sets out the APS levels of positions in the Branch:

(2) The other key area of the Department that works on human rights matters is the Office of International Law. As at 26 May 2003 there were three staff within the Office of International Law who worked primarily on human rights matters. As at 26 May 2003 they were all non-ongoing. Their APS levels are one acting Principal Legal Officer and two Senior Legal Officers. Recruitment is underway for filling of the Principal Legal Officer and one Senior Legal Officer position on an ongoing basis. The other Senior Legal Officer position is substantively filled on an ongoing basis by an officer who is on leave. There is also a Legal Officer in the Office of International Law who works both on human rights matters and on general international law matters as required. That position is, as at 26 May 2003, filled on a non-ongoing basis. The position is substantively filled on an ongoing basis by an officer who is on other duties elsewhere in the Department.

In addition, human rights issues come up in a wide range of areas, so from time to time officers across the department may be dealing with human rights issues.

(3) At 26 May 2003 action was being taken to recruit three further staff and an additional person on a temporary basis. As a result, from 2 June two staff have been engaged on a non-ongoing basis. Recruitment action for the other two staff, for positions vacant since 12 May 2003 and 23 May 2003, is ongoing.

(4) Between 18 February 2003 and 26 May 2003, three ongoing staff left the Human Rights Branch. In addition, two ongoing staff left temporarily to act in higher level positions outside the Branch and one who was non-ongoing in the Division left at the end of a period of acting in a higher level position in the Branch.

(5) As at 26 May 2003, the average period of service in the Branch for staff currently working in the Branch who are ongoing in the Division is slightly over 13 months. The average period of service in the Branch for current non-ongoing staff is 4.6 months.

(6) For the period February to April 2003, inclusive, Departmental records indicate the following leave levels:

(7) The Human Rights Branch provided advice and support to the Attorney-General and to the Government in the development of the Australian Human Rights Commission Bill 2003.