§ Mr. Michael Forsythasked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will list for each year since 1978–79 the total number of appointments of all kinds it fell within his power to make, whether or not such appointments actually fell to be made in the year in question.
§ Mr. ButlerThe following figures show the number of appointments to non-departmental public bodies which my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State had the power to make between 1979 and 1983, taken at 1 April of each year, though many of them did not fall to be made in the period in question:
Numbers 1979 2,542 1980 2,608 1981 2,594 1982 2,482 1983 2,478