§ Mr. Arthur Lewisasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what are the total numbers employed in his Department dealing with the answering of parliamentary questions and the costs at the latest stated date and on a similar date in each of the years since 1979.
§ Mr. WhitelawThe information requested by the hon. Member is not available. The number of staff involved and the cost incurred in dealing with parliamentary questions vary according to the nature of the question and are not recorded. In the 1980–81 parliamentary Session some 60 administrative divisions within my Department were concerned in preparing replies to 2,288 questions from right hon. and hon. Members.
§ Mr. Arthur Lewisasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department upon what criteria he decides that replies to parliamentary questions cannot be given without disproportionate costs.
§ Mr. WhitelawOn an estimate of the amount of work likely to be required to collect and analyse the information requested.