§ Mr. Brintonasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what were the costs of administration of the Commission for Racial Equality in the financial years 1978, 1979 and 1980.
§ Mr. RaisonThe actual expenditure of the Commission for Racial Equality in 1978–79 was £4.9 million and in 1979–80 is estimated to be £5.9 million. The cost of the commission to public funds in the present financial year will not be known until the end of that year, but the provision made in the Supply Estimates is £7.036 million at outturn prices.
§ Mr. Brothertonasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the cost to public funds in the current year of the Commission for Racial Equality; and whether he is satisfied that its current expenditure is in line with its budget.
§ Mr. RaisonThe cost of the Commission for Racial Equality in the present financial year will not be known until the end of that year, but the provision made in the Supply Estimates is £7.036 million at outturn prices. We have no reason to believe that there will be any overspending or significant underspending.
§ Mr. Brothertonasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department by how much the Commission for Racial Equality has overspent or underspent its budget in each year since its formation.
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§ Mr. RaisonThe Commission for Racial Equality, which came into operation in June 1977, has underspent its approved provision by the following amounts:
£ 1977–78 561,768 1978–79 30,460 1979–80 *179,000 * Estimated.
§ Mr. Brothertonasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what has been the total cost to public funds of the Commission for Racial Equality since its formation.
§ Mr. RaisonThe Commission for Racial Equality came into operation in June 1977. The total costs up to 31 March 1980 have been approximately £14 million.
§ Mr. Brothertonasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the total number of staff currently employed by the Commission for Racial Equality; and how this compares with the position each year since its formation.
§ Mr. RaisonI understand that at 1 December 1980, 221½ staff were employed by the Commission for Racial Equality. Comparable information for 1 December in previous years is not readily available, but the commission has provided the following details:
Staff 13 July 1977 141 29 March 1978 187 1 April 1979 255½ 21 April 1980 218½
§ Mr. Brothertonasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what reduction there has been in the costs to public funds of the Commission for Racial Equality since May 1979.
§ Mr. RaisonAfter reductions in its approved budget, the grant-in-aid for the Commission for Racial Equality in 1979–80 was £0.6 million lower than the provision made in the Supply Estimates published in March 1979. The provision made in the Supply Estimates for the present financial year represents in real terms an increase of less than 0.5 per cent. on the revised estimated expenditure of the commission for 1979–80.
§ Mr. Brothertonasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what proportion of the total costs of the Commission for Racial Equality is met by public funds in the current year; and how this compares with the position in each year since its formation.
§ Mr. RaisonVirtually all the commission's expenditure is met by grant-in-aid. In previous financial years, less than ½per cent. of its costs have been met by income received from, for example, the sales of puublications. Details of the income received in the current financial year will not be available until the end of that year.
§ Mr. Brothertonasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what economies are to be made in the expenditure of the Commission for Racial Equality since the Chancellor's statement of 24 November.
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§ Mr. RaisonNo decisions have yet been taken on the future level of the commission's funding. These will depend upon the prevailing economic circumstances and the Government's determination to reduce the volume of public expenditure.
§ Mr. Brothertonasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what sum has been spent by the Commission for Racial Equality on advertising for and recruitment of staff since May 1979.
§ Mr. RaisonThis is a matter for the Commission for Facial Equality. I understand that in the financial year 1979–80 the commission spent £17,742 on recruiting staff: in the current financial year it has allocated £25,000 for this purpose.
§ Mr. Brothertonasked the Secretary of State for the home Department what sum has been spent on publicity and advertising by the Commission for Racial Equality since May 1979.
§ Mr. RaisonThis is a matter for the Commission for Racial Equality. I understand that in the financial year 1979–80 the commission spent £283,840 on the preparation and distribution of publications and on advertising: in the current year it has allocated £267,000 for this purpose.
§ Mr. Brothertonasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what are the rateable values of offices and premises occupied by the Commission for Racial Equality.
§ Mr. RaisonI understand that the rateable values of the accommodation occupied by the Commission for Racial Equality at its five offices are:
£ London 144,972 Birmingham * 10,472 Manchester 8,472 Leeds * 1,542 Leicester 1,013 * Estimated.
§ Mr. Brothertonasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many 7eports and publications he has received from the Commission for Racial Equality since May 1979; and on what subjects.
§ Mr. RaisonWe receive and lay before Parliament the annual reports required by statute. We are also sent copies of documents published by the Commission for Racial Equality, many of which are press releases. The cost of listing and summarising the contents of these would be disproportionate.
§ Mr. Brothertonasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what legal staff are currently employed by the Commission for Racial Equality; and whether they were recruited from within the Civil Service or from outside.
§ Mr. RaisonI understand that the Commission for Racial Equality currently employs four legally qualified staff in its legal section, all of whom were recruited from outside the Civil Service.
Mr. Brolbertonasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what checks he makes on how the public funds granted to the Commission for Racial Equality are spent.
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§ Mr. RaisonThe commission is an independent public body and as such is responsible for the detailed allocation of its budget, although certain of the grants awarded by the commission under section 44 of the Race Relations Act 1976 require the approval of the Secretary of State. In addition, its annual accounts are subject to examination by the Comptroller and Auditor General.