§ Mr. LoughtonTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what the current budget is and how many people are employed in, each of the English Government Offices of the Regions, excluding London,(a) in the current year and (b) in each of the last three years; and how many are budgeted for next year. [141732]
§ Ms Beverley Hughes[holding answer 11 December 2000]: The current administrative budget and the administrative budget in each of the last three years for the Government Offices for the Regions (excluding London) are detailed in the table. Budget figures for the next financial year (2001–02) are yet to be agreed.
£000 GO 1997–98 1998–99 1999–2000 12000–01 North East 8,616.75 8,618.84 8,312.05 8,221.62 North West 9,442.59 13,690.13 13,048.58 13,397.92 Merseyside 4,199.53 12.24 0.00 0.00 Yorkshire and Humber 8,475.01 8,683.92 8,888.68 9,183.87 West Midlands 9,757.79 9,474.35 9,330.15 9,794.44 East Midlands 6,436.24 6,754.39 6,951.28 7,176.97 East 6,270.62 6,269.43 7,005.47 7,391.26 South West 6,825.73 6,985.03 7,796.87 8,226.98 South East 8,544.99 8,561.40 8,658.61 8,952.79 Total 68,569.25 69,049.73 69,991.69 72,345.85 1 Allocations pre Mid Year Review Note:
GO-NW and GO-M merged during 1998–99
The current total number of staff employed in each Government Office (excluding London) in the current year and last three years are detailed in the table. Both the administration budgets and the staff numbers are for all the activities, not just those that relate to DETR responsibilities.
In line with policy set out in the Performance and Innovation Unit report "Reaching Out—the role of central Government at Regional and Local level" published in February 2000, Government Offices are increasingly 285W incorporating regional staff from a wider range of Government Departments, and are taking on an enhanced role in co-ordinating Government action at regional and local level.
The figures include casual staff, staff on fixed term appointments, staff seconded out, staff on career breaks, staff on maternity leave and staff on special leave with no pay. Figures taken as at 1 April each year. Staff numbers for 2001–02 have yet to be finalised.
Staff employed in Government Offices GO 1997 1998 1999 2000 North East 269 286 261 267 North West 428 383 401 402 Yorkshire and Humber 274 275 251 282 West Midlands 325 348 275 271 East Midlands 218 215 222 247 East 182 185 178 195 South West 255 196 204 227 South East 224 197 215 248 Total 2,175 2,085 2,007 2,139