§ Mr. ForthTo ask the hon. Member for Berwick-upon-Tweed as representing the House of Commons Commission, what was the total identifiable cost to public funds of the departmentally-related Select Committees in July 1986; and what were the comparable identifiable costs to public funds arising from(a) the employment of permanent staff and (b) other commitments in July 1987.
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§ Mr. BeithSuch information as is available for the period including July 1986 is given in the Select Committee returns for Sessions 1985–86 (HC 172) and 1986–87 (HC 79). Additional information for the period including July 1987 will be provided in the sessional return for 1987–88. Permanent staff costs for the months of July 1986 and July 1987 were £101,430 and £107,134 respectively. Payments in respect of other commitments such as shorthand640W writers' fees and Committee visits amounted to £55,473 in July 1986 and to £50,663 in July 1987. Many of these payments were in respect of costs incurred in earlier months. The figures do not include printing and publishing costs which are normally recovered from sales revenue, including revenue from the House and Government Departments.