§ Mr. Georgeasked the Prime Minister how many staff are engaged principally in liaison with departmental Select Committees in each Department, and if he will estimate the number of working days spent by each Department on the overall requirements of departmental Select Committees.
§ The Prime MinisterLiaison with departmental Select Committees forms part of the duties of some staff in all Departments. In 1985 six individuals are reported by Departments to have spent more than half their time solely on this work. A study was carried out in 1980–81 to determine the amount of time spent by all officials on departmental Select Committee work, and a copy of the report on this was placed in the Library on 10 December 1982. It would not be possible to update this information without an extensive new study at disproportionate cost; however, in general the work occasioned by departmental Select Committees in 1985 has not changed markedly from the year on which this study was based.