§ Mr. Wareingasked the Secretary of State for the Environment what has been the size of the Merseyside task force in each year since its establishment, giving the percentage change in each year.
§ Mr. Patrick JenkinThe size of the Merseyside task force in each year since its establishment in 1981 is as follows:
Percentage Change 1981 December 27 — 1982 December 27 0 1983 December 24 -11 These figures include both staff assigned by the Department of the Environment and those seconded from other Government Departments and include also locally recruited temporary staff. The task force has included in addition to the figures above a number of secondees from the private sector.
Following my announcement on 8 July 1983 a more permanent task force was established on Merseyside with effect from 3 January 1984. It took over the formal responsibility for most matters in the task force area that had been handled hitherto by the DOE regional office in Manchester. The current establishment of the new office is 39.
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§ Mr. Wareingasked the Secretary of State for the Environment what has been the cost of maintaining the Merseyside task force in each year since its establishment, giving the percentage change in each year.
§ Mr. Patrick JenkinI refer the hon. Member to my answer to him on Thursday 15 March at column254.
Percentage changes in costs from year to year cannot be calculated on a consistent basis. 1981–82 figures relate only to a five month period while those for 1983–84 include costs associated with staff transferred from the DOE regional office in Manchester.
§ Mr. Wareingasked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will estimate the amount of expenditure generated by the Merseyside task force in each year since its inception, giving the percentage change in each year.
§ Mr. Patrick JenkinInformation is not available to enable estimates to be made of total public and private investment generated by the various initiatives in which the Merseyside task force has been involved.