§ 18. Mr. Michael Lathamasked the Secretary of State for Employment whether he will make a statement on the operation of that branch of his Department which monitors pay settlements; what is its current staffing establishment; and what is its annual cost to public funds, including provision for salaries and administrative overheads.
§ Mr. Harold WalkerApart from the public sector, which is primarily the responsibility of the sponsoring Departments, my Department at 1st January employed 69 staff who are mainly concerned with giving advice on the application of the pay guidelines to particular negotiations and who also monitor settlements in the private sector. This involves a total cost, at an annual rate, of £809,155.