§ Mr. Gwilym Robertsasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many full-time and part-time appointments, respectively, are made by him which are not subject to regulation by the Civil Service Commission; what is the total sum paid annually as salary and expenses for such appointments; and if he will take steps to reduce the number of posts.
§ Mr. John SilkinI make no full-time appointments but I am responsible for making 1,210 part-time appointments, not subject to regulation by the Civil Service Commission, of which 82 are salaried, 126 are fee-paid, 889 are unpaid and 113 are not paid from public funds. In some cases, the appointments are made jointly with my right hon. Friends the Secretaries of State for Scotland and Northern Ireland, and my right hon. and learned Friend the Secretary of State for Wales as appropriate.
The total amount paid during the past year in respect of salaries and fees is approximately £165,000. Information about expenses, other than salaries and fees, is not readily available and could only be assembled at disproportionate cost.
As to the final point, I refer my hon. Friend to the reply given to the hon. Member for Carshalton (Mr. Forman) by my right hon. Friend the Minister of State, Civil Service Department on 1st November 1976.—[Vol. 918, c. 959–60.]