## 

1.  
During the month of December, the following exceptions to the recruitment and consultancy freeze (above £20k) have been considered by the Chief Executive, in his capacity as Accounting Officer. 2. 

The details are shown below: 

| Decision               | Approval    |
|------------------------|-------------|
| date                   |             |
| Ref: No. &             |             |
| directorate            |             |
| Summary of             |             |
| application            |             |
| Consultancy/           |             |
| recruit                |             |
| 153                    |             |
| Recruitment of Grade   |             |
| D Economist            |             |
| 5 December             |             |
| 2011                   |             |
| External               |             |
| recruitment            |             |
| Approved               |             |
| RME                    |             |
|                        |             |
| 154                    |             |
| Consultancy            | Approved    |
| 8 December             |             |
| 2011                   |             |
| RME                    |             |
| Support to the         |             |
| domestic               |             |
| benchmarking of the    |             |
| costs and performance  |             |
| of train operation     |             |
| £50,000                |             |
|                        |             |
| 155                    |             |
| Consultancy            | Approved    |
| 8 December             |             |
| 2011                   |             |
| International          |             |
| benchmarking of the    |             |
| costs and performance  |             |
| of train operation     |             |
| RME                    |             |
| £100,000               |             |
|                        |             |
| 148b                   |             |
| 16 December            |             |
| 2011                   |             |
| External               |             |
| recruitment            |             |
| Approved               |             |
| RME                    |             |
| Recruitment of Grade   |             |
| E Competition and      |             |
| Consumer Policy        |             |
| 157                    |             |
| Recruitment of HR      |             |
| Operations Manager     |             |
| 16 December            |             |
| 2011                   |             |
| External               |             |
| recruitment            |             |
| Approved               |             |
| RME                    |             |
| Grade D                |             |
| 159                    |             |
| Study of IGC's safety  |             |
| rule                   |             |
| Consultancy            | Approved    |
| 21 December            |             |
| 2011                   |             |
| RME                    |             |
| £21,000                |             |
| 160                    |             |
| Consultancy            | Approved    |
| 23 December            |             |
| 2011                   |             |
| Impact of higher track |             |
| access charges on      |             |
| demand for ESI coal    |             |
| and other fuels        |             |
| RME                    |             |
| £50,000                |             |

 3. 

The Director of Corporate Services approved 2 applications for