Audit Commission (Hansard, 24 January 1992)

§ Mr. Tony Banks
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) if he will list all the management and occasional papers published by the Audit Commission, showing the dates they were commissioned and completed, and the cost of producing each paper;
(2) how many comparative and other studies were undertaken by the Audit Commission in each year since 1983, under section 26 of the Local Government Finance Act 1982; what the total cost of these studies was for each of the years, expressed in 1991 prices; and how long each study took to complete.

§ Mr. Key
The Audit Commission is responsible for deciding what papers it will publish and what studies it will promote or undertake. Any available information will be obtainable from the Audit Commission.

§ Mr. Tony Banks
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what proportion of the Audit Commission's operating costs for each year since 1983 is attributable to activities not related to auditing the performance of local authorities.

§ Mr. Key
This information is not available in the form requested. The Audit Commission's annual reports show that the percentage of the Audit Commission's total operating costs represented by central studies was as follows:

Percentage

1983–84 5.0

1984–85 4.7

1985–86 5.1

1986–87 4.3

1987–88 4.2

1988–89 4.3

1989–90 3.9

¹1990–91 3.6

¹ Excludes operating costs and costs of central studies relating to the NHS, for which the Audit Commission assumed responsibility on 1 October 1990.

§ Mr. Tony Banks
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will show(a) the total salaries and (b) the total staff costs of the Audit Commission for each year since 1983, expressed in 1991 prices.

§ Mr. Key
Total salaries and staff costs for field and support staff in the district audit service and the Audit Commission headquarters at 1991 prices¹ are listed. Payments to audit firms and contract audit staff are excluded.

Year Total salaries £000 Total staff costs£000

1983–84 9,859 13,279

1984–85 11,956 15,331

1985–86 12,500 16,341

349W

Year Total salaries£000 Total staff costs£000

1986–87 13,172 17,735

1987–88 13,924 18,871

1988–89 14,341 19,172

1989–90 16,082 21,757

²1990–91 20,697 27,945

¹Calculated using GDP deflator index.

²Includes additional salaries and staff costs payable from 1 October 1990 in relation to NHS activities.

	Percentage
1983–84	5.0
1984–85	4.7
1985–86	5.1
1986–87	4.3
1987–88	4.2
1988–89	4.3
1989–90	3.9
¹1990–91	3.6
¹ Excludes operating costs and costs of central studies relating to the NHS, for which the Audit Commission assumed responsibility on 1 October 1990.

Year	Total salaries £000	Total staff costs£000
1983–84	9,859	13,279
1984–85	11,956	15,331
1985–86	12,500	16,341

Year	Total salaries£000	Total staff costs£000
1986–87	13,172	17,735
1987–88	13,924	18,871
1988–89	14,341	19,172
1989–90	16,082	21,757
²1990–91	20,697	27,945
¹Calculated using GDP deflator index.
²Includes additional salaries and staff costs payable from 1 October 1990 in relation to NHS activities.