HC Deb 15 March 1984 vol 56 cc199-201W
Mr. Michael Forsyth

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will estimate the proportion of expenditure for which he is responsible that is spent on (a) administration, (b) payments to organisations and individuals and (c) provision of services.

Mr. Michael Forsyth

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will estimate the proportion of expenditure for which he is responsible that is spent on (a) administration, (b) payments to organisations and individuals and (c) provision of services.

Mr. Michael Forsyth

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will estimate the proportion of expenditure for which he is responsible that is spent on (a) administration, (b) payments to organisations and individuals and (c) provision of services.

Mr. Michael Forsyth

asked the Secretary of State for Energy if he will estimate the proportion of expenditure for which he is responsible that is spent on (a) administration, (b) payments to organisations and individuals and (c) provision of services.

Mr. Michael Forsyth

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will estimate the proportion of expenditure for which he is responsible that is spent on (a) administration, (b) payments to organisations and individuals and (c) provision of services.

Mr. Michael Forsyth

asked the Secretary of State for Wales if he will estimate the proportion of expenditure for which he is responsible that is spent on (a) administration, (b) payments to organisations and individuals and (c) provision of services.

Mr. Michael Forsyth

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will estimate the proportion of expenditure for which he is responsible that is spent on (a)administration, (b)payments to organisations and individuals and (c)provision of services.

Mr. Michael Forsyth

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will estimate the proportion of expenditure for which he is responsible that is spent on (a) administration, (b) payments to organisations and individuals and (c) provision of services.

Mr. Michael Forsyth

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will estimate the proportion of expenditure for which he is responsible that is spent on (a) administration, (b) payments to organisations and individuals and (c) provision of services.

Mr. Michael Forsyth

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will estimate the proportion of expenditure for which he is responsible that is spent on (a) administration, (b) payments to organisations and individuals and (c) provision of services.

Mr. Michael Forsyth

asked the Secretary of State for Defence if he will estimate the proportion of expenditure for which he is responsible that is spent on (a) administration, (b) payments to organisations and individuals and (c) provision of services.

Mr. Michael Forsyth

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will estimate the proportion of expenditure for which he is responsible that is spent on (a) administration, (b) payments to organisations and individuals and (c) provision of services.

Mr. Michael Forsyth

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will estimate the proportion of expenditure for which he is responsible that is spent on (a) administration, (b) payments to organisations and individuals and (c) provision of services.

Mr. Michael Forsyth

asked the Secretary of State for Transport if he will estimate the proportion of expenditure for which he is responsible that is spent on (a) administration, (b) payments to organisations and individuals and (c) provision of services.

Mr. Peter Rees

I have been asked to reply.

The categories of expenditure specified are not mutually exclusive and it is therefore difficult to reply in a consistent or useful manner. From information held centrally, it has been possible to provide figures for administration costs financed directly from votes. It is impossible, however, similarly to provide data for the other categories for which information was sought. Administration costs comprise expenditure on pay of staff employed in, and the general administrative expenses of, central Government Departments. The percentages given are for the latest outturn year, 1982–83.

Differences between Departments in the percentage of voted expenditure incurred on administration costs require very careful interpretation. The percentages vary considerably as the functions of some Departments are labour-intensive—for example, Home Office, Inland Revenue and Customs and Excise—whilst for other functions, such as education, administration is mainly carried out at local government level. The percentage depends on the size and nature of spending programmes handled by the Departments in question.

The figures* are Departments answerable to the Secretary of State or Minister for: Percentage of Departments' total voted expenditure incurred on administration costs†
Agriculture Fisheries and Food‡ 21
Chancellor of the Exchequer║ 55
DefenceƂ 16
Education and Science 2
Employment 34
Energy 1
Environment 28
Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs 15
Home Department■ 68
Northern Ireland⋆ 64
Social Services# 5
Trade and Industry** 6
Transport 9
Wales 2
* Figures used to calculate the percentages do not correspond with those for departmental running costs published in the Official Report, Volume 47, Columns 76–78, dated 25 October 1983, as notional costs—such as superannuation contributions and accommodation costs—are excluded and the coverage of the tables is different.
† Total voted expenditure excludes expenditure transferred between central Government and local government and so on—for example, specific grants to police authorities.
‡ Excludes the Forestry Commission which is the joint responsibility of the Minister of Agriculture Fisheries and Food, and the Secretaries of State for Scotland and for Wales.
║ Includes the following Departments:
Central Office of Information
Customs and Excise
Department for National Savings
Government Actuary
Her Majesty's Treasury
Inland Revenue
National Investment and Loans Office
Registry of Friendly Societies and
Paymaster General's Office, other than civil superannuation costs borne on Class XIV, Vote 4, which cannot practicably be attributed to individual former employing Departments.
Ƃ Includes armed forces pensions borne on Class I, Vote 3.
● Includes administration of programmes borne on DHSS Votes.
■ Includes non-industrial prison staff and the immigration service.
⋆ Figures provided by the Northern Ireland Office covering the administration costs of home civil servants and Northern Ireland civil servants employed by the Northern Ireland Office, including the prison service but excluding Northern Ireland Departments whose estimates are considered by Parliament under the Order in Council procedure.
# Expenditure by the Department of Health and Social Security. It includes administration costs which are charged to the national insurance fund but which does not take account of benefit expenditure from the fund, which is not voted.
** Excludes the Export Credits Guarantee Department and the Office of Fair Trading.

Programme 16.1 Agriculture, Fisheries, Food and Forestry
£ million cash
1978–79 1979–80 1980–81 1981–82 1982–83 1983–84 1984–85 1985–86 1986–87
Market Regulation and production support 2 3 5 12 9 22 37
Other agricultural support 20 43 53 41 52 57 52
Animal Health 1 1 1
Other agricultural and food services 1 1 1 1 1 2 3
Support for the fishing industry 1 1 1
Total programme 24 48 60 55 63 81 93 100 100

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