§ Mr. Peter Bruinvelsasked the Lord Privy Seal if, pursuant to his statement of 12 July, Official Report, column 1451, he can now give more precise figures for the cost of Select Committees.
§ Mr. BiffenIn 1984–85 the identifiable costs of Select Committees were £600,000. This figure represents the costs of travel within the United Kingdom and abroad by Select Committees; of shorthand writers; witness expenses and salaries for specialist assistants. It does not include elements of expenditure which cannot be isolated, such as the salaries of the Clerks and the costs of using the facilities of the House; nor the compliance costs of Select Committees in Government Departments.