§ Mr. Willie W. Hamiltonasked the Prime Minister what was the total public expenditure on No. 10 Downing street in each of the last five years.
§ The Prime MinisterThe total costs to public funds of the Prime Minister's Office, including 10 Downing street and Chequers, in each of the last five years are:
Cost at Outturn Prices* Year (April to March) £ 1980–81 1,744,824 1981–82† 2,415,301 1982–83 2,699,752 1983–84‡ 3,026,042 1984–85 3,753,898 * Includes grant in aid to the Chequers Trust, salaries and wages, pension liability and administration costs, but excludes the salary of the Prime Minister messengerial and cleaning services, and any allowance for accommodation until 1983–84 when the property repayment scheme was introduced.
† The increase in cost between 1980–81 and 1981–82 reflects the change in the basis of charging by MOD for aircraft used by the Prime Minister, and the introduction cf repayment for the Service staff at Chequers, previously provided as an allied service.
‡ Following the abolition of the CPRS, the policy unit in the Prime 175W Minister's Office was strengthened by four staff. In the last full year of its existence (1982–83) CPRS employed 35 people and cost £1,109,000. Thus, while the cost of the Prime Minister's Office increased as a result of the abolition of the CPRS, substantial net overall savings were made.
It is not possible, without disproportionate expense, to separate the costs of 10 Downing street and Chequers.