§ Mr. TyrieTo ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department when his planning department was established; which of its reports are placed in the public domain; how many departmental or non-departmental special advisers participate in its work; how many regular(a) non-departmental and (b) departmental staff participate in its work; and how many of these work for the department on a full-time basis. [150371]
§ Mr. LockThe Lord Chancellor's Department has carried out a planning function in some form for many years. Since 1998 the planning branch has been a discrete unit within the Department's Finance Division. Prior to that it was part of a separate Planning and Communications Division. The planning branch writes the Department's annual departmental report, which is published by the Stationery Office and placed on the Department's website. In spring 2001 it will produce the departmental business plan.
No departmental or non-departmental advisers participate in this work. There are no non-departmental staff involved in this work. The planning branch consists of five full-time departmental staff and one part-timer.