§ Mr. Win GriffithsTo ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what changes have taken place in his responsibilities over the last four years; and what impact this has had on the running costs of his Department. [10023]
§ Mr. FreemanThe Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster's ministerial responsibilities in December 1992 were as follows
The discharge on a day-to-day basis of the responsibilities of Minister for the Civil Service; overseeing progress and development of the citizens charter initiative, the next steps programme, the efficiency and effectiveness of the civil service and the market-testing programme; responsibility for the Office of Science and Technology which, in addition to responsibility for Government policy on science and technology, is responsible for the research councils; and ministerial responsibility for Her Majesty's Stationery Office.These responsibilities were carried out by the Cabinet Office, Office of Public Service and Science. The estimated annual running costs associated with these responsibilities in 1992–93 was £96 million.
On 1 April 1993 financial provision for the Prime Minister's Office, the Office of Parliamentary Counsel, support to the Whips and minor other functions were transferred to the Cabinet Office "other services" vote. This reduced the OPSS annual running costs by £15.5 million.
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Cabinet Office £ 1991–92 1992–93 1993–94 1994–95 1995–96 Aberdeen Press and Journal 2,132 3,686 2,694 — — Ambulance UK — — 453 453 — Andover Advertiser — — 892 — — Assessment — — 2,425 — — B A News — — 1,152 4,064 — Banbury Guardian — — 677 — — Bath (and West Evening) Chronicle — 497 — — — Bedfordshire Times — — 1,405 — — Belfast Irish News 900 476 1,143 — — Belfast Telegraph 4,777 6,155 5,233 355 — Birmingham Evening Mail — 2,262 3,700 — — Bracknell News — — 874 — — Bournemouth Evening Echo — 751 — — — Braintree and Witham Times — 416 999 — — Brighton Evening Argus — — 2,000 — — Bristol Evening Post — 2,498 — — — Bromley Borough News — 371 — — — Bucks Free Press — — 972 — — On 1 April 1995 my predecessor took over responsibility for civil service pensions and civil service pay and conditions, including the senior civil service. These responsibilities were transferred by the Economic Secretary to the Treasury, following HM Treasury's fundamental expenditure review, and strengthened my civil service efficiency and effectiveness remit. The effect of these additional responsibilities serve to increase the OPSS annual running costs by some £13 million.
The machinery of Government changes announced in July 1995 saw significant changes with responsibility for the science and technology transferring from the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster to the Minister for Science and Technology, Department of Trade and Industry. At the same time, the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster assumed responsibility for supporting the Deputy Prime Minister on the competitiveness agenda and for the progress and development of deregulation, transferred from the Minister of State, Department of Trade and Industry. The net annual affect on running costs of these changes to my Department—now the Office of Public Service—is estimated to be a reduction of £3 million.
On the 1 January 1996 I assumed responsibility from the Minister for the Environment and Countryside for two executive agencies—the Security Facilities Executive and the Buying Agency. The effect of this transfer on my Department's annual running costs is £29 million.