HC Deb 17 March 1993 vol 221 cc290-2W
Dr. Wright

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what share of total departmental spending was accounted for by non-departmental public bodies in each year since 1979.

Mr. Michael Forsyth

Information is not available in the form requested and could be provided only at disproportionate cost. Information on the spending of non-Departmental public bodies is contained in "Public Bodies" published each year by the Cabinet Office and in the annual appropriation accounts for the Department. Copies of these documents for each year are available in the Library.

Mr. Leighton

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what steps she took to reduce the production costs of her Department's expenditure plans, Cm 2205; and what steps she is taking to increase sales.

Mr. Michael Forsyth

Production costs were kept to the minimum necessary to publish a document which is business like in its format and presentation, but provides the information in a way which is accessible to readers. The cost of printing, publishing and distributing the report was borne by HMSO, which aims to recover their costs from sales revenue.

HMSO, as publisher, is mailing a leaflet to potential customers which will promote both individual departmental reports. The Government's expenditure plans 1993–94 to 1995–96—including Cm 2205, and the full set of reports at a special discounted price.

Mr. Leighton

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what changes to the aims and objectives of her Department have been made in the past year; and what effect she expects them to have on future spending plans.

Mr. Michael Forsyth

The aim of the Department remains the same, but the objectives have been amended. Both can be found in the latest departmental report, a copy of which is in the Library. The report sets out how the Department's spending plans reflect the new objectives.

Mr. Leighton

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what assumptions she has made in her Department's expenditure plans, Cm 2205, on the implementation of the public sector pay ceiling.

Mr. Michael Forsyth

The Department's expenditure on pay will be constrained in accordance with the approach to public sector pay restraint announced by my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer in his autumn statement and contained within the public expenditure provision already published.

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