§ Mr. BakerTo ask the hon. Member for Roxburgh and Berwickshire, representing the House of Commons Commission, if the Commission will increase the complement of staff in the Library [139158]
§ Mr. Kirkwood[holding answer 20 November 2000]: Numbers of staff in departments of the House are no longer controlled centrally by staff complements. Budgets for staff costs, based upon the business plans prepared by departments, are approved each year by the Commission as part of the Estimates cycle. Once the budgets have been set, authority is delegated to departments to vary the grade levels and the total number of posts, within the limit of the budget.
As a result of this year's three-year planning exercise the Library will receive funding for modest increases in permanent staffing this year and next. The Library is, of course, free to make a new submission for consideration in next year's planning exercise.