§ Mr. Masonasked the Lord Privy Seal how many reports were published by the 14 departmental select committees during the period March 1985 to March 1986; and how many were debated in the House.
§ Mr. BiffenSixty-four reports (excluding special reports) from the departmental Select Committees were published between 1 April 1985 and 31 March 1986. In that period, one report was debated on a substantive motion in the House, 10 were referred to on the Order Paper as being relevant to debate in the House, including motions for the Adjournment of the House, but excluding Estimates days, and six were subject to debate on Estimates days. Other reports have been germane to legislation before the House.
§ Mr. Masonasked the hon. Member for Berwick upon Tweed, as representing the House of Commons Commission, if he will give the total operating costs of the 14 departmental Select Committees for the financial year 1985–86, indicating separately, costs for overseas visits, listing all visits by each Committee, together with the administrative and clerical costs and expenditure on specialist advisers, as well as the printing costs of the Committees' reports.
§ Mr. BeithCosts, other than staff salary costs, identifiable as attibutable to the 14 departmental Select Committees during the financial year 1985–86 were as follows:
482W
Overseas Visits by Committees Committee Countries/Cities Visited Dates of Visits Costs Paid During the Financial Year 1985–86 £ Agriculture Iberia 17 to 23 February 1985 1,395 France and Germany 17 to 21 June 1985 4,667 Defence USA 23 March to 2 April 1985 21,372 Brussels 24 to 25 April 1985 2,797 Norway and Sweden 2 to 8 June 1985 7,490 Portugal 17 to 23 November 1985 5,301 Germany 9 to 14 March 1986 2,570 Brussels 20 February 1986 98 Education, Science and Arts Germany 28 October to 1 November 1985 7,608 Employment Australia and New Zealand 15 to 26 October 1984 3,613 Energy Netherlands 12 to 13 June 1985 1,219 Environment Sweden 26 to 30 August 1985 4,648 USA and Canada 14 to 26 July 1985 23,287 Germany and France 2 to 8 June 1985 4,889 Foreign Affairs Geneva 27 to 30 August 1985 2,900 Moscow 8 to 17 July 1985 22,920 Paris 26 to 27 June 1985 2,261 The Sahel 7 to 19 February 1985 14,409 New York 7 May 1984 2,246 Home Affairs Amsterdam 10 to 12 February 1985 1,675 USA 25 April to 4 May 1985 23,984 Home Affairs Sub-Committee on Race Relations and Immigration Pakistan, India and Bangladesh 30 October to 13 November 1985 9,306 Trade and Industry China and Hong Kong 24 April to 11 May 1985 18,197 Transport Denmark and Germany 24 to 27 June 1985 3,604 Treasury and Civil Service USA 2 to 7 June 1985 17,467 Brussels 17 to 18 July 1985 1,022 Welsh Affairs Holland 24 to 26 February 1986 1,458 Total 212,403
£ Visits within the United Kingdom 43,527 Overseas Visits 210,000 Witnesses Expenses 4,811 Remuneration of Specialist Advisers 72,714 Expenses of Specialist Advisers 11,787 Work Commissioned 813 Entertainment 924 Publications not supplied by HMSO 1,019 Estimated shorthand writing costs, and the estimated costs of printing and publishing reports (including evidence printed with reports), as shown in the notes to volumes published during the financial year 1985–86, were as follows:
£ Shorthand Writing Costs 88,452 Cost of printing reports (including evidence printed with reports) 880,248 No allowance is made for the revenue recouped from sales of the publications in question.
The table shows the overseas visits made by each Committee on which costs fell to be paid during the financial year 1985–86. The costs shown are those actually paid during the financial year and exclude (a) payments made prior to 1 April 1985 in the case of visits taking place before that date, (b) payments made subsequent to 31 March 1986, and (c) any provision for accounts not yet received.
483W
Committee Countries/Cities Visited Dates of Visits Costs Paid During the Financial Year 1985–86 £ Less Adjustments Arising from Earlier Visits etc -2,403 210,000
§ Mr. Masonasked the Lord Privy Seal if, in the light of the decision by the House of 20 May in relation to the report of the Committee of Privileges on the leak of a draft report from the Environment Committee, he will bring forward proposals to clarify the relationship between Select Committees and the media, as it affects the deliberations and reports of those committees; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. BiffenI am considering the procedural position in the light of the decision of the House on 20 May, and will, if necessary, put forward proposals to the House.