HC Deb 07 May 1981 vol 4 cc114-5W
Mr. George

asked the Secretary of State for Defence how much time in terms of the number of man hours and in terms of the percentage of total available man hours has been spent by members of his Department in the last year for which figures are available on work specifically related to the activities of the Defence Committee in each of te following categories (a) Ministers, (b) permanent secretaries, (c) deputy secretaries, (d) under secretaries, (e) assistant secretaries, (f) principals and (g) all other staff; and how these figures compare with the effort devoted to the former Defence and External Affairs Sub-Committee of the Expenditure Committee.

Mr. Nott

Informattion is not maintained in the form requested, However, broad assessments of the amount of time spent by officials and officers of the Department and the Armed Services on work arising from the activities of Select Committees were recotrded for the period 4 April 1980 to 17 February 1981 and that information is available in the following form:

The grades listed include Armed Service personnel equivalents Man days
Under Secretaries and above 86
Assistant Secretaries 130
Principals 289
Senior Executive Officers and below (including support staff) 588

Mr. George

asked the Secretary of State for Defence what is the maximum percentage of available working time spent by an individual member of his staff on work specifically related to the activities of the Defence Committee for the last year for which this information is available; and to how many people such a percentage applies.

Mr. Nott

For the last 12 months the maximum has been approximately 95 per cent. The answer to the second part of the question is two.

Mr. George

asked the Secretary of State for Defence how many staff in his Department are currently devoting the majority of their work time to the work of the Defence Committee; and how this compares with the number of staff similarly engaged on the work of the Defence and External Affairs Sub-Committee of the Expenditure Committee in 1975 and 1976.

Mr. Nott

Three at present. Four in 1975 and 1976.