§ Mr. McElhoneasked the Lord Privy Seal (1) which Foreign Office Minister represented the United Kingdom at the 649W recent United Nations conference in Delhi;
(2) if he will place in the Library a copy of the speech delivered by a Minister from the Foreign Office at the recent United Nations Conference in Delhi.
§ Mr. HurdThe United Kingdom was represented at the recent third general conference of the United Nations industrial development organisation in New Delhi by Mr. Peter Blaker, Minister of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs. A copy of his speech to the conference has been placed in the Library.
§ Mr. Freudasked the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster if he will publish in the Official Report the number, and the average cost of information officers employed by his Department at the beginning of each of the last four years.
§ Mr. St. John-StevasChanges in ministerial responsibilities prevent direct comparisons with the period before May 1979. The figures for the years 1976–79 relate to staff employed in the office of the Lord President of the Council and Leader of the House of Commons. The 1980 figure relates to my offices of Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, Leader of the House and Minister responsible for the Arts.
Year Information Officers Cost £ 1976 2 12,524 1977 2 13,815 1978 2 14,817 1979 2 16,394 1980 2 19,840
§ Mr. Charles Irvingasked the Paymaster General what was the annual cost of the Government Information Service in 1970, 1975 and 1979; how many staff were em-played on those dates; what has been the increase in the cost of the service over the last 10 years; and if he is satisfied that the cost of the service represents value for money.
§ Mr. MaudeDetails of the provision in Supply Estimates for the costs of the Government information service are contained in table 8 of the Chief Secretary's memorandum for the years in question.
650WThe corresponding figures for staff in post at 1 April were 1,239 in 1970, 1,367 in 1975 and 1,292 in 1979. Since I became responsible for co-ordination of Government information services I have been satisfied that the cost of the services does represent value for money, although of course I shall continue to seek ways of improving their efficiency. I cannot, of course, form a judgment about the position in past years.
§ Mr. Freudasked the Paymaster General if he will publish in the Official Report the number, and the average cost, of information officers employed by his Department at the beginning of each of the last four years.