HC Deb 14 May 2002 vol 385 c575W
Mr. Bercow

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the running costs were of(a) his Ministers' private offices, separately identifying expenditure on staff and (b) his Department in each year from May 1997 to the nearest date for which the information is available. [40989]

Mr. Nicholas Brown

Running cost information for The Department for Work and Pensions, created in June 2001 from the merging of the Department for Education and Employment and the Department of Social Security, is not yet available.

Departmental running costs, prior to the creation of the Department for Work and Pensions, is accessible in published Department of Social Security annual Appropriation Accounts and, where appropriate, Resource Accounts.

With regard to information on the Department for Education and Employment, I refer the hon. Member to the reply my Right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Education and Skills gave on 10 April 2002, Official Report, column 114W.