§ Mr. Michael Lathamasked the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) what is the present staffing establishment of the supplies division of the Property Services Agency; and what is the total annual cost to public funds of this division, including provision for salaries and administrative overseas;
(2) what was the value of the supplies procerud by the supplies division of the Property Services Agency for 1976–77; and whether he will break down the total to show specific costs of the major items of expenditure.
(3) when the first annual accounts for the; supplies division of the Property Services Agency since it was set up as a trading fund will be published; and what target rate of return on net assets employed has been set for the fund for the 1977–78 financial year.
§ Mr. MarksThe activities of the Supplies Division of the Property Services Agency were put on a trading fund basis from 1st April 1976 and renamed PSA 531W Supplies. A full report and accounts on the first year's trading will be published when available, with appropriate breakdowns of sales, costs and revenues in accordance with commercial practice, and showing clearly how far the financial objective—effectively 12 per cent. return on capital—has been achieved.
The present staff in post is put at 4,040.