§ Mr. Batisteasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many civil servants are employed by his Department in (a) London and the south-east, (b) the south-west, (c) the midlands and (d) the north of England; and what is the budgeted expenditure of his Department for the current year in each of these regions.
§ Mr. Donald ThompsonThe number of staff employed in London and the Department's five regions on 1 April 1987 was as follows:
Number London and South-East Region 4,658 Midlands and Western Region 1,329 South Western Region 1,083 Eastern Region 1,724 Northern Region 1,066 There were also 622 staff in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, and 512 temporary employees.
On budgeted expenditure, some 60 per cent. of the Department's running costs are decentralised, partly to the regional organisation and partly to line management commands on a national or HQ basis. Details are published in the Supply Estimates 1987–88 for class IV, vote 5. A breakdown of costs as requested could be achieved only at disproportionate cost.