HC Deb 25 July 1986 vol 102 cc612-3W
Dr. McDonald

asked the Prime Minister if she will publish in the Official Report the numbers of staff employed in the Cabinet Office, excluding Central Statistical Office and Management and Personnel Office staff for each year since 1979, but including the numbers of specialist and political advisers for each year since 1979, giving in each case, the costs based on the above figures.

The Prime Minister

The numbers of staff and specialist advisers employed in the Cabinet Office, excluding the Central Statistical Office and the Management and Personnel Office, each year since 1979 were:

Staff Specialist/Advisers
31 March 1980 350 *6
31 March 1981 357 *8
31 March 1982 324 *11
31 March 1983 327 *10
31 March 1984 294 †3
31 March 1985 304 †3
31 March 1986 303 †3
* Includes two specialist advisers who were employed on an occasional fee-paid basis. The remainder were secondees to the Central Policy Review Staff.
† All employed on an occasional fee-paid basis.

No political advisers were employed by the Cabinet Office during the period.

The related running costs for the Cabinet Office were:

£'000
1983–84 10,886
1984–85 9,710
1985–86 10,918

Financial information in any greater detail or prior to the 1983–84 financial year is not available except at disproportionate cost.

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