Zero hour figures could be 'distorted' admits Minister

Figures showing the number of people employed on zero hour contracts in the public service could be "distorted". 

That's the admission from the Policy and Reform Minister - last week he revealed that almost 200 of the contracts had been handed out to "substantive post holders" in the last two years: 

 

The number of contracts has been attributed to a cap on recruitment within government and the need for some departments to find a way round that. 

John Shimmin says efforts are now underway to stop that from happening: