§ Mr. David ShawTo ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department if he will list the total amount paid by his central Department and each agency for which he is responsible in subsistence allowances for travel(a) within the United Kingdom and (b) outside the United Kingdom in each of the last three years. [19559]
Mr. John M. TaylorThe Lord Chancellor has responsibility for four agencies: the Court Service, Her Majesty's Land Registry, the Public Record Office and the Public Trust Office. As the question concerns a specific operational matter, I have asked the chief executives of the Land Registry, the Public Record Office and the Public Trust Office to reply direct. However, as the Court Service's inception as an agency did not take effect until 3 April this year, this answer deals with expenditure in the Court Service and the central Department.
As departmental financial management systems do not distinguish between expenditure on travel and expenditure on subsistence or travel within and outside the United Kingdom, only overall expenditure figures can be given. Total expenditure on travel and subsistence in the 1992–93 financial year was £7,669,575; in 1993–94, £7,142,412. Final figures for 1994–95 are not yet available, but spend to end of February 1995 was £6,283,198.
Letter from Duncan Simpson to Mr. David Shaw, dated 25 April 1995:
519WIn the absence of the Chief Executive on leave I have been asked by the Lord Chancellor's Parliamentary Secretary to reply to your following three questions, notified on 5 April 1995.Number 237
(a) The total hours of overtime worked for which payment has been made in each of the last three years is:
- 1992–93: 21,427 hours
- 1993–94: 23,412 hours
- 1994–95: 20,678 hours
(b) The total amounts paid in overtime in each of the last three years is:
- 1992–93: £120,796.97
- 1993–94: £138,637.12
- 1994–95: £116,378.17
(c) The total number of days lost through sick absence in each of the last three years is:
- 1992: 6021
- 1993: 5278
- 1994: This figure is not yet available
It is impossible to rely on the accuracy of calculating the monetary equivalent of the total days lost to sickness as there are too many variables.Number 239
The Public Record Office has paid the following total amounts in subsistence allowances for travel in each of the last three years:
(a) Within the United Kingdom (b) Outside the United Kingdom 1992–93 £63,519 £8,961 1993–94 £72,848 £7,712 1994–95 £75,192 £3.484 Number 240
The Public Record Office has not paid any removal costs and associated expenses in the last three years.
Letter from Julia Lomas to Mr. David Shaw, dated 25 April 1995:
The Parliamentary Secretary of the Lord Chancellor's Department has asked me to reply to you as part of the Lord Chancellor's Department's response to your Parliamentary question, listed on 5 April 1995, regarding subsistence allowances for travel in the last three years (a) within the United Kingdom and (b) outside the United Kingdom.The figures you require are as follows:
(a) United Kingdom (b) Outside the United Kingdom £ £ 1992–93 16,744.01 493.99 1993–94 18,753.40 629.60 1994–95 20.601.53 nil Letter from John Manthorpe to Mr. David Shaw, dated 25 April 1995:
I have been asked by the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department, to reply to your recent question concerning the total amount paid by HM Land Registry in subsistence allowances for travel within and outside the United Kingdom for the last three years. I can provide the following information:520W
1992–93 £ 1993–94 £ 1994–95 £ a) Travel within the UK 521,159 405,385 445,926 b) Travel outside the UK 6,726 3,780 5,383 These statistics include the cost of travel as well as subsistence. The two can only be separated at disproportionate cost.
I do hope that this answers the point raised with the Parliamentary Secretary but please contact me if I can be of any further assistance.
§ Mr. David ShawTo ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department if he will list for each agency and the central Department for which he is responsible(a) the total amount of removal costs and associated expenses reimbursed to officials who were required to relocate as part of their employment (b) the amount of the highest three claims that were concluded and settled and (c) the average amount of each claim in each of the last three years. [19656]
Mr. John TaylorThe Lord Chancellor has responsibility for four agencies: the Court Service, HM Land Registry, the Public Record Office and the Public Trust Office. As the question concerns a specific operational matter, I have asked the chief executives of HM Land Registry and the Public Record Office to reply direct. However, as records of relocation expenses are kept centrally for staff of the central Department, the Public Trust Office and the Court Service, it has been agreed that the Department should take the lead in this answer. It has not been possible to separate this information in relation to each area.
Total expenditure on cases where staff moved their homes for 1993–94 was £641,520; the average cost of payments in each case was £5,832. The three highest costs incurred in individual cases settled in this year, including payments made in previous years, were £89,130, £88,994 and £84,324. No information is available in relation to expenditure in 1992–93. In 1994–95, total expenditure was £384,656; the average cost of payments in each case was £3,495. the three highest costs involved in individual cases settled in this year, including payments in previous years, were £38,034, £30,540 and £30,103.
There are also allowances payable with salary to staff who have been required to relocate to assist with increased travel and housing costs. No figures are available for these costs.
Letter from Duncan Simpson to Mr. David Shaw, dated 25 April 1995:
In the absence of the Chief Executive on leave I have been asked by the Lord Chancellor's Parliamentary Secretary to reply to your following three questions, notified on 5 April 1995.Number 237
(a) The total hours of overtime worked for which payment has been made in each of the last three years is:
- 1992–93: 21,427 hours
- 1993–94: 23,412 hours
- 1994–95: 20,678 hours
(b) The total amounts paid in overtime in each of the last three years is:
- 1992–93: £120,796.97
- 1993–94: £138,637.12
- 1994–95: £116,378.17
(c) The total number of days lost through sick absence in each of the last three years is:521W
- 1992: 6021
- 1993: 5278
- 1994: This figure is not yet available
It is impossible to rely on the accuracy of calculating the monetary equivalent of the total days lost to sickness as there are too many variables.
Number 239
The Public Record Office has paid the following total amounts in subsistence allowances for travel in each of the last three years:
(a) Within the United Kingdom (b) Outside the United Kingdom 1992–93 £63,519 £8,961 1993–94 £72,848 £7,712 1994–95 £75,192 £3,484 Number 240
The Public Record Office has not paid any removal costs and associated expenses in the last three years.
Letter from John Manthorpe to Mr. David Shaw, dated 25 April 1995:
I have been asked by the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department, to reply to your recent question concerning the total amount of removal costs and associated expenses reimbursed to officials in HM Land Registry during the last three years. I can provide the following information:
1992–93 £ 1993–94 £ 1994–95 £ a) Total amount of removal costs and associated expenses reimbursed to officieals 1,464,919 908,573 510,278 b) Highest claims in each year 148,265 122,971 114,455 c) Average claim 27,411 42,367 40,144 The period from 1992 to 1994 includes a number of exceptional cases arising from the difficulties encountered by staff transferring on compulsory terms to a new location just at the time of the sharp reduction in house prices and property activity following the peak price and activity of 1988–89. This created protracted problems in selling in a declining market.
I do hope that this answers the points raised with the Parliamentary Secretary but please contact me if I can be of any further assistance.