§ Mr. AllenTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment 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. HeseltineThe time taken in preparing ministerial briefs for oral parliamentary questions is not routinely recorded in my Department. Estimates are however made where there is a likelihood of exceeding the disproportionate cost threshold (currently £250). However, following an inter-departmental exercise in 1972 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.
§ Mr. AllenTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment 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. HeseltineNo savings would be made and costs would almost certainly increase significantly. If the oral question is known in advance briefing can be tightly focused, thus avoiding the cost of producing a detailed brief, covering all subjects that could possibly arise.