§ Sir J. Langford-Holtasked the Secretary of State for Transport what was the total number of paid public appointments made by him in each of the last four years as recorded in the "Directory of Paid Public Appointments made by Ministers"; and what was the total cost to the public purse of these appointments in each of these years.
§ Mr. William RodgersI am currently responsible for making 146 paid public appointments. The total cost in salaries and fees of these appointments in 1977–78 was approximately £490,000. The figures for 1976–77 are 137 appointments costing about £480,000. Before September 1976 all appointments were the responsibility of the Secretary of State for the Environment.