Departmental Expenditure (Hansard, 28 October 1985)

§ Mr. Tony Banks
asked the Prime Minister (1) what has been the total cost for Chequers in each of the past six years;
(2) how much has been spent on 10 Downing street in each of the past six years in respect of (a) total running costs, (b) staffing, (c) repairs and maintenance, (d) decoration, (e) furniture and (f) rates.

§ The Prime Minister
[pursuant to the Lord Privy Seal's reply, 21 October 1985, c. 11]: It is not possible without disproportionate expense to allocate costs between 10 Downing street and Chequers or to provide the historical analysis of costs other than for staff.
The total costs to public funds of the Prime Minister's Office, including Chequers, in the last six years are:

Cost at outturn prices^*

Year (April to March) £

1979–80 1,409,101

1980–81 1,744,824

1981–82^† 2,415,301

1982–83 2,699,752

1983–84^‡ 3,026,042

1984–85 3,648,073

^*Includes grant-in-aid to the Chequers trust, salaries and wages, pension liability and administration costs, but excludes the salary of the Prime Minister, messengerial and cleaning services, and any allowance for accommodation until 1983–84 when the property repayment scheme was introduced.

^‡Following the abolition of the CPRS, the policy unit in the Prime Minister"s Office was strengthened by four staff. In the last full year of its existence (1982–83) CPRS employed 35 people and cost £1,109,000. Thus, while the cost of the Prime Minister's Office increased as a result of the abolition of the CPRS, substantial net overall savings were made.

^†The increase in cost between 1980–81 and 1981–82 reflects the change in the basis of charging by MOD for aircraft used by the Prime Minister, and the introduction of repayment for the Service staff at Chequers, previously provided as an allied service.

The annual costs of staffing 10 Downing street in the last six years are: 311W

Cost at outturn prices^*

Year (April to March) £

1979–80 760,814

1980–81 901,608

1981–82 1,015,095

1982–83 1,042,817

1983–84 1,146,674

1984–85 1,355,173

^*Includes salaries, wages, and notional superannuation costs.

§ Mr. Tony Banks
asked the Prime Minister how much has been spent by her office on foreign travel in each of the past six years.

§ The Prime Minister
[pursuant to the Lord Privy Seal's reply, 21 October 1985, c. 11]: The expenditure by my office on foreign travel in each of the last six years was:

Cost at outturn prices^*

Year^† £

1979–80 154,453

1980–81^† 141,824

1981–82 557,634

1982–83 538,877

1983–84 228,934

1984–85 434,006

^* Because of billing delays the above figures do not necessarily reflect the costs of travel undertaken during the year against which they are shown.

^† April to March.

^‡ The increase in cost between 1980–81 and 1981–82 reflects the change in the basis of charging by MOD for aircraft used by the Prime Minister.

Cost at outturn prices^*
Year (April to March)	£
1979–80	1,409,101
1980–81	1,744,824
1981–82^†	2,415,301
1982–83	2,699,752
1983–84^‡	3,026,042
1984–85	3,648,073
^*Includes grant-in-aid to the Chequers trust, salaries and wages, pension liability and administration costs, but excludes the salary of the Prime Minister, messengerial and cleaning services, and any allowance for accommodation until 1983–84 when the property repayment scheme was introduced.
^‡Following the abolition of the CPRS, the policy unit in the Prime Minister"s Office was strengthened by four staff. In the last full year of its existence (1982–83) CPRS employed 35 people and cost £1,109,000. Thus, while the cost of the Prime Minister's Office increased as a result of the abolition of the CPRS, substantial net overall savings were made.
^†The increase in cost between 1980–81 and 1981–82 reflects the change in the basis of charging by MOD for aircraft used by the Prime Minister, and the introduction of repayment for the Service staff at Chequers, previously provided as an allied service.

Cost at outturn prices^*
Year^†	£
1979–80	154,453
1980–81^†	141,824
1981–82	557,634
1982–83	538,877
1983–84	228,934
1984–85	434,006
^* Because of billing delays the above figures do not necessarily reflect the costs of travel undertaken during the year against which they are shown.
^† April to March.
^‡ The increase in cost between 1980–81 and 1981–82 reflects the change in the basis of charging by MOD for aircraft used by the Prime Minister.