HC Deb 06 December 1990 vol 182 c176W
Mr. Devlin

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy whether the administrative costs of his Department rose by more or less than the retail prices index in the last financial year.

Mr. Wakeham

Gross running costs expenditure on my Department's administration was 37.2 per cent. higher in 1989–90 than in the previous year. During the same period the retail prices index increased by 7.8 per cent. The increase was mainly due to two factors. First, the Department was charged the full market rent by the then Property Services Agency for its new headquarters building, although the actual rent paid by the PSA, and hence the real annual cost to the taxpayer, was substantially less. Secondly, the Department needed to increase its staff to prepare for the privatisation of the electricity supply industry in England and Wales and to strengthen resources devoted to offshore safety.