§ Mr. Hordernasked the Secretary of State for Trade if he will list the numbers employed, and the cost of salaries, in his Department and in all Government agencies of which his Department is sponsor, in February 1974 and at the latest available date.
§ Mr. NottThe Department was created on 5 March 1974, and in May of this year it was amalgamated with the Department of Prices and Consumer Protection. On 1 April 1974, the number of staff in post in the two Departments was 7,300, and on 1 April 1979 it was 7,626. The provision for salaries in the 1974–75 Estimates was £19,656,000 based on the prices in force in April 1973, and in the 1979–80 Estimates was £48,071,000 based on prices in force in April 1979. The last figure takes account of the adjustment to the Civil Service pay component in the revised cash limits published on 26 June 1979. Comparable information about the staff numbers and costs of Government agencies cannot be obtained without incurring disproportionate cost.