§ 39. Mr. Peter Bruinvelsasked the Lord Privy Seal what were the total costs arising from the running of the House of Commons in 1984–85 on Votes for which he is responsible; how that compares with each of the past three financial years; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. BiffenI am not directly responsible for any of the Votes out of which the costs of running the House of Commons are met. However the figures for the financial year 1984–85 is approximately £57 million. This compares with roughly £51 million for 1983–84, £45 million for 1982–83 and £42 million for 1981–82. These figures do not include the PSA's expenditure on the House of Commons, as figures are available only for the PSA's expenditure on the Palace of Westminster as a whole.