HC Deb 11 December 1989 vol 163 cc493-4W
Dr. Cunningham

To ask the Secretary of State for the environment how much the Mersey basin campaign unit in Manchester has cost his Department to run for every year since 1984.

Mr. Chris Patten

[holding answer 7 December 1989]: The Mersey campaign unit works alongside a range of other bodies—public, private and voluntary—on both the water quality and landward aspects of the Mersey basin campaign; and supports the campaign chairman, whose post is an honorary unsalaried appointment.

The unit's staff costs are:

Year £
1987–88 100,399
1988–89 115,668
1989–90 121,981

The figures for earlier years are not readily available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.