§ Mr. Anthony Grantasked the Secretary of State for Prices and Consumer Protection if he will set out in the Official Report the persons or organisations connected with consumer protection that are in receipt of public funds from central or 250W local governments; and the annual cost of each.
§ Mr. John FraserThe relevant budget estimates for central Government expenditure in 1978–79 at November 1977 prices are as follows:
£ British Standards Institute (BSI) 1,700,000 Expenses of Consumer representatives on BSI standards making activities 10,000 Committee of Enquiry into Motorway Service Areas 25,000 Consumer Advice Centre Grants for Running and Capital costs 3,580,000 Consumer Protection Advisory Committee 7,000 Local Price Surveys 225,000 Monopolies and Mergers Commission 725,000 National Association of Citizens Advice Bureaux 1,097,000 National Consumer Council 664,000 National Federation of Consumer Groups 6,000 Nationalised Industry Consumer Councils 1,911,000 Open University ("Consumer Decisions" Course) 6,000 Price Commission 7,170,000 Payments to members of Price Commission 123,000 Royal Society for Prevention of Accidents 33,000 Local authority expenditure on consumer protection is determined by individual authorities, but the White Paper on the Government's Expenditure Plans (Cmnd. 7049), is based on the expectation that local authorities' current expenditure for Great Britain in 1978–79 will be £29.2 million.
If the hon. Member requires fuller information on particular items of expenditure he may wish to write to me.