§ Sir John FarrTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what is the authorised staff establishment of the National Rivers Authority headquarters(a) at its formation, (b) currently and (c) projected.
§ Mr. Heathcoat-AmoryThe Government's view was originally that, at least for an initial period, the National Rivers Authority head office should not exceed 60 staff. Following further consideration we agreed that a study by consultants should be commissioned to review the optimum size of the head office, and that meanwhile an additional 21 staff could be recruited to meet particularly urgent needs. The authority is in the process of filling these additional posts, and the study is under way.