§ Dr. FoxTo ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list the appointments of officials to the National Assembly made to date; and if he will estimate, in each case, their annual cost. [64503]
§ Mr. MichaelIn preparation for the National Assembly for Wales, the following appointments have been made to the Office of the Presiding Officer and the Executive Secretariat of the Assembly.
Pay band £ Counsel General 77,840–113,680 Office of the Presiding Officer Senior Director Assembly Business 71,250–107,300 Director, Assembly Business (and project manager for the establishment of the Office of the Presiding Officer 54,230–90,400 Assistant Director, Public and Research Services 40,420–63,490 Chief Translator 27,043–41,935 Deputy Head Translation Services (Interpretation) 20,723–31,978 Executive Secretariat Head of Executive Secretariat 40,420–63,490 Implementation Unit 2 x Pay Band F (G7) 27,043–41,935 2 x Pay Band D (HEO) 15,990–24,464 3 x Pay Band C (EO) 12,240–18,360 2 x Pay Band B (AO and PS) 9,536–13,700 The full year costs of the Implementation Unit would be £215,400 based on the 1998–99 projected average grade costs. The unit has a limited life span and will exist for 6 months.
A number of further appointments, for example for translators and for general administrative staff, are currently in train.
All of these costs are included in the estimated additional running costs.
§ Dr. FoxTo ask the Secretary of State for Wales what his estimate is of(a) the number of people who will be employed by the National Assembly and (b) the total cost of their employment to public funds. [64529]
§ Mr. MichaelThe bulk of the existing staff of the Welsh Office will transfer to work for the Assembly but the Assembly will require more staff than those currently employed in the Welsh Office; the Explanatory & Financial Memorandum to the Government of Wales Bill398W estimated the number at about 100. The annual additional running costs of the Assembly have been estimated as £15 million to £20 million more than the costs of running the Welsh Office, which are currently some £70 million. These additional costs include the pay and allowances of Assembly members and the accommodation and information technology requirements of members and staff as well as the additional staff costs.