HC Deb 30 January 1996 vol 270 cc627-8W
Mr. Ingram

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list the(a) costs and (b) the number of science-related posts in the diplomatic service for each year since 1979. [12325]

Mr. Hanley

The costs, including salaries, allowances, travel costs and accommodation, and numbers for science-related posts in the diplomatic service are as follows:

Numbers £ cost
1993–94 24.4 2,240,586
1994–95 24.4 2,313,237

Table 1: Staff numbers in EU institutions as amended by successive budgets
1994 1995 1995 1995 1996
Total staff Budget increase Supplementary budget increase Total staff Budget increase
Court of Justice 837 0 113 950 0
Court of Auditors 427 31 45 503 0
Economic and Social Committee and Committee of the Regions 599 62 55 716 0
Council 2,304 75 86 2,465 42
Commission 14,918 650 268 15,836 193

1. Only a part of the 1995 budget increase in staff numbers were in response to enlargement.

2. The 1995 supplementary budget staff increases were almost all due to enlargement.

3. The increase in Commission staff for 1996 is divided mainly between enlargement (95 staff) and fraud prevention. The Council increase is mostly for enlargement.

Source:

Report of the Budget Committee to COREPER, on the 1996 budgetary procedure, 7 July 1995. Ref 8770/95.

With the latest enlargement, the European Parliament grew by 59 new MEPs. From 1995 to 1997, it will be taking on 335 extra staff, 157 for translation and interpreting.

Following enlargement only, the European Parliament has a redundancy programme. The programme was agreed by the Budget Council on 17 November 1995 and runs for five years. It is therefore too early to say what the average length of service is for those staff being made

Details for previous years are not readily available and could not be provided without incurring disproportionate cost.

Mr. Ingram

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what is the planned(a) expenditure on and (b) cost of science-related posts in the diplomatic service over the next three years. [12326]

Mr. Hanley

The forecast total cost and expenditure for science-related posts in the diplomatic service over the next three financial years are as follows:

  • 1995–96: £2,174,000
  • 1996–97: £2,139,906
  • 1997–98: £2,193,404