§ Mr. AllenTo ask the Lord President of the Council what savings his Department would make were no notice given of oral questions to Ministers and they were answered without civil service time being used on briefings.
§ Mr. MacGregorNo savings would be made and costs could well increase, because time and effort would be involved in wider briefing.
162W
§ Mr. AllenTo ask the Lord President of the Council what is the average length of time taken and the average cost involved of officials' time in his Department preparing ministerial briefs for oral parliamentary questions.
§ Mr. MacGregorThe time taken in preparing ministerial briefs for oral parliamentary questions is not routinely recorded in my Department although estimates would be made where there is a likelihood of exceeding the disproportionate cost threshold (currently £250). However, following an interdepartmental exercise in 1972 in which the Department participated an assessment was made of the average cost throughout all Departments of answering an oral question. This assessment was based on staff time, using average rates of pay and associated costs for the grades concerned, together with a share of the cost of parliamentary sections and any substantial non-staff costs such as computer usage. This assessed figure is regularly updated and currently stands at £99.