§ Mr. Austin Mitchellasked the Secretary of State for Energy (1) how many of his officials were involved in the preparation and drafting of the Layfield report; and who paid them for their services in that period;
(2) how many of his officials were seconded, and in what capacity, to the Layfield inquiry; and what was their role in assessing (a)his Department's evidence and (b)the evidence of protestors.
§ Mr. GoodladThe conduct of the inquiry and the drafting of the report were solely the responsibility of the inspector. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State, other Ministers and the Department had no knowledge of the content of the report before it was submitted by the inspector. Staff were seconded to the inspector in response to his requests for assistance. This is normal practice. The number of permanent departmental staff on secondment varied over the inquiry and report writing period but was typically about a dozen. They reported to the inspector alone and acted under his instructions. The Department met the costs of providing such assistance.