§ Mr. AllenTo ask the Lord President of the Council if he will bring forward a substantive motion to give effect to the recommendations of the Liaison Committee report of Session 1984–85, HC 363, in respect of the automatic nomination of Select Committees after a general election.
§ Sir Geoffrey HoweThe Government's view of the recommendations of the 1984–85 Liaison Committee was given on 23 November 1987 by my right hon. Friend the Member for Colchester, South and Maldon (Mr. Wakeham) who stated that he did not consider that the existence of a Standing Order providing for nominations for these Committees to be put forward within a prescribed period would necessarily have expedited their establishment in this Parliament.
§ Mr. AllenTo ask the Lord President of the Council what was the expenditure on full-time specialist staff appointed to service departmental Select Committees in each year since 1979.
§ Sir Geoffrey HoweThe grade of temporary assistant (later to become specialist assistant) to Select Committees was introduced to the Clerk's Department in October 1980. The table sets out the numbers of specialist assistants in post at 1 April 1981 to 1 April 1989 and their total annual gross salaries payable at that date. All specialist assistants work for departmental Committees.
365W
1 April Numbers in post Total annual gross salary (£) 1981 5 49,730 1982 6 66,168 1983 6 72,646
1 April Numbers in post Total annual gross salary(£) 1984 5 64,892 1985 4 53,756 1986 5 69,909 1987 5 75,862 1988 4 61,128 1989 7 117,691