HC Deb 30 January 2004 vol 417 cc549-50W
David Burnside

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what the monthly cost of the Office of the Speaker of the Northern Ireland Assembly(a) was in the six months before suspension and (b) has been since suspension, broken down by (i) staff costs and (ii) administration costs. [150833]

Mr. Paul Murphy

The average monthly expenditure for the Office of the Speaker for the six months prior to suspension—from 1 May 2002 to 31 October 2002—was £15,234 of which staff costs accounted for £12,067 and administrative costs for £3,167. For administrative purposes figures have been included for the period up to and including 31 October 2002.

The average monthly expenditure for the Office of the Speaker for the eight months following suspension—from 1 November 2002 to 30 June 2003—was £18,881 of which staff costs accounted for £13,392 and administrative costs for £5,489. This included the costs of a number of events already planned prior to suspension of the Assembly.

The average monthly expenditure for the Office of the Speaker for the last six months—from 1 July 2003 to 31 December 2003—was £13,401 of which staff costs accounted for £12,846 and administrative costs for £555.