§ Dr. WrightTo ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what percentage shares of total departmental spending was accounted for by non-departmental public bodies in each year since 1979.
Mr. John M. TaylorFigures for the period 1979 to 1983 are not available. The percentage shares of total departmental spending accounted for by non-departmental public bodies in each year since are: 0.85 per cent. in 1983–84; 0.65 per cent. in 1984–85; 0.71 per cent. in 1985–86; 0.8 per cent. in 1986–87; 1.15 per cent. in 1987–88; 57.88 per cent. in 1988–89; 60.93 per cent. in 1989–90; 61.93 per cent. in 1990–91 and 60.45 per cent. in 1991–92 the last financial year for which figures are available. The substantial increase from 1988–89 onwards is as a result of the setting up of the Legal Aid Board, which has assumed responsibility from the Law Society for the administration of the legal aid fund. Expenditure in relation to legal aid for 1983–88 is not included in the figures above since this was not expenditure accounted for by an NDPB.