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LORD CHANCELLOR'S DEPARTMENT
Departmental Expenditure
Mr. Malcolm Bruce: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what is his estimate of his Department's expenditure on newspapers and magazines in (a) 1993-94, (b) 1994-95 and (c) 1995-96 to date; and if he will list the publications purchased for the latest year for which information is available. [11504]
Mr. Jonathan Evans: The estimated expenditure on newspapers and magazines by the Lord Chancellor's Department, including the Court Service, is as follows:
1993-94: £53,500
1994-95: £54,700
1995-96: £57,500
The publications that incurred the above expenditure were:
Newspapers:
Daily Express, Daily Mail, Daily Mirror, Daily Star, Daily Telegraph, European, Evening Standard, Financial Times, Independent, Independent on Sunday, Le Monde, News of the World, Observer, People, Sun, Sunday Telegraph, Sunday Times, The Times, Die Zeit.
Magazines
Accountancy, Architects Journal, Banking World, Bookseller, Building, Chartered Surveyor, Computing, Construction News, Design Week, Economist, Estate Times, Estates
30 Jan 1996 : Column: 637
- Gazette, Justice of the Peace, Law Society's Gazette, The Lawyer, Legal Business, Litigation, Litigation Letter, Magistrate, Management Accounting, Management Matters, Management Services, Management Today, New Law Journal, New Scientist, New Statesman and Society, Online and CD ROM Review, PC Magazine, PC Plus, PC Week, Police Review, Practical Computing, Private Eye, Radio Times, Social Work Today, Socio-Legal Newsletter, Solicitors' Journal, Spectator, Which?, Which Computer?
The Parliamentary Secretary has asked me to reply to you as part of the Lord Chancellor's Department's response to your Parliamentary Question, listed on 19 January 1996, regarding the estimated cost of expenditure on newspapers and magazines in 1993-94, 1995-96 to date; and a list of the publications purchased for the latest year for which the information is available.
The figures provided below indicate the monies spent from the Books and Newspapers budget and will, therefore, include the cost of purchasing books as well as newspapers and magazines. The figures for the cost of newspapers and magazines alone could only be provided at disproportionate cost.
1993-94: £26,208
1994-95: £26,518
1995-96: £19,658 (to date)
The list of publications purchased in 1995-96 are as follows:
The Times
The Financial Times
The Independent
The Times (Saturday)
The Independent (Saturday)
Post Magazine
Solicitor's Journal
Taxation
Estates Gazette
Country Life
Money Management
ABC Railway Guide
Mr. Evans: Expenditure on entertainment including all forms of hospitality are given in the table.
| Financial year | LCD(7) | Legal Aid Board |
|---|---|---|
| 1979-80 | Not available | Not available |
| 1989-90 | 18,886 | Not exceeding £500 |
| 1991-92 | 20,895 | Not exceeding £500 |
| 1993-94 | 20,477 | Not exceeding £500 |
| 1994-95 | (8)26,159 | Not exceeding £500 |
| 1995-96* | (9)27,694 | Not exceeding £500 |
| 1996-97* | (10)28,456 | Not exceeding £500 |
(7) Includes all non-departmental public bodies except the Legal Aid Board.
(8) Includes the Public Trust Office which became an agency on 1 July 1994.
(9) Forecast based on expenditure to December 1995. The Court Service became an agency on 3 April 1995.
(10) Forecast based on 1995-96 figure.
30 Jan 1996 : Column: 638
The first column of figures is for the whole of my Department apart from those years marked with an asterix which exclude the Court Service and Public Trust Office agencies. I have asked the chief executives of the agencies to reply direct for the years 1995-96 and 1996-97.
Letter from M. D. Huebner to Mr. Malcolm Bruce, dated 30 January 1996:
The Parliamentary Secretary has asked me to reply in respect of the Court Service to your question about annual hospitality and entertainment expenditure.
The Parliamentary Secretary has asked me to reply to you as part of the Lord Chancellor's Department's response to your Parliamentary Question, listed on 19 January 1996, regarding the estimate for expenditure on all forms of hospitality and entertainment for the years 1979-80, 1989-90, 1991-92, 1993-94, 1994-95, 1995-96 and 1996-97.
Parliamentary question--expenditure on hospitality and entertainment in HM Land Registry.
30 Jan 1996 : Column: 639
Mr. Malcolm Bruce:
To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what is his estimate of the annual cost to his Department and his Department's agencies and non-departmental public bodies of their empty and under-utilised properties for (a) 1979-80, (b) 1989-90, (c) 1991-92, (d) 1993-94, (e) 1994-95, (f) 1995-96 and (g) 1996-97. [11499]
Mr. Jonathan Evans:
The Lord Chancellor's Department does not keep comprehensive financial records for empty or under-used properties on the departmental estate and the information required could be obtained only at disproportionate cost, or is not available. The chief executives for each of the Department's agencies will be responding separately.
Letter from M. D. Huebner to Mr. Malcolm Bruce, dated 30 January 1996:
30 Jan 1996 : Column: 640
Mr. Evans:
Details of my Department's running costs and administrative spending for the year 1979-80 are contained in table 3.9 of the "Government's Expenditure Plans 1985-86 to 1987-88", volume II (Cm 9428-II); figures for the years 1989-90 to 1997-98 are contained in table 4 of my Department's annual report published in March 1995 (Cm 2809). Copies of these documents are available in the Members' Library.
Letter from M. D. Huebner to Mr. Malcolm Bruce, dated 30 January 1996:
Mr. Evans:
Except for the Legal Aid Board--established on 1 April 1989--which incurred £4,215 of such expenditure in 1994-95, expenditure on overseas
30 Jan 1996 : Column: 641
travel and accommodation is not monitored separately in my Department and non-departmental public bodies and could be provided only at disproportionate cost. We estimate that the maximum spent in any one year is no more than £35,000. Since this is an operational matter, I have asked the chief executives of the Court Service and Public Trust Office to reply direct for the years since they became agencies.
Letter from M. D. Huebner to Mr. Malcolm Bruce, dated 30 January 1996:
The Parliamentary Secretary has asked me to reply in respect of the Court Service to your Question about estimated annual overseas travel and accommodation expenditure.
30 Jan 1996 : Column: 642
Letter from Julia C. Lomas to Mr. Malcolm Bruce, dated 30 January 1996:
The estimated annual figures for hospitality and entertainment expenditure from 3 April 1995, the date on which the Court Service was established, are:
1995-96: £8,800
1996-97: £8,800
Letter from John Manthorpe to Mr. Malcolm Bruce, dated 30 January 1996:
The Public Trust Office became an Agency on 1 July 1994 and the figures prior to that date will be included in our departmental Headquarters response. The estimated expenditure from 1 July 1994 are as follows:
1 July 1994-95: £530
1995-96: £685
1996-97: £705
Letter from Dr. Elizabeth Hallam Smith to Mr. Malcolm Bruce, dated 30 January 1996:
I have been asked by the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department, to reply to your recent question on expenditure on all forms of hospitality and entertainment, I can provide the following information for the years quoted:
(a) 1979-80: £747
(b) 1989-90: £6,299
(c) 1991-92: £13,993
(d) 1993-94: 7,083
(e) 1994-95: £12,888
(f) 1995-96: £8,622 (at 31 December 1995)
(g) 1996-97: Estimated expenditure figures for 1996-97 are not yet available. The annual non-staff budget setting process is currently taking place and the Land Registry Budget Committee has yet to decide the final budget allocation.
In the absence of the Chief Executive, who is away from the Office on official business, I have been asked by the Lord Chancellor's Parliamentary Secretary to reply for the Public Record Office to your question about expenditure on hospitality and entertainment in the agencies for which he is responsible.
Expenditure since 1993-94 has been:
1993-94: £8,298
1994-95: £6,752
1995-96: £7,120
1996-97: £8,220 (budget)
Figures for earlier years could only be supplied at disproportionate cost.
Letter from Julia C. Lomas to Mr. Malcolm Bruce, dated 30 January 1996:
The Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department has asked me to reply to the above Question about the cost to the Court Service of empty or under used property.
The Court Service does not keep comprehensive financial records for empty or under used properties on the Departmental Estate and the information required could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.
Letter from John Manthorpe to Mr. Malcolm Bruce, dated 30 January 1996:
The Parliamentary Secretary has asked me to reply to you as part of the Lord Chancellor's Department's response to your Parliamentary Question, listed on 19 January 1996, regarding the estimated cost of empty and under utilised buildings for the years 1979-80, 1989-90, 1991-92, 1993-94, 1995-96 and 1996-97.
The Public Trust Office does not have any empty or under-utilised buildings.
I have been asked by the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department, to reply to your recent question on estimates of the costs of empty and under-utilised properties.
I understand that the Property Holding Division of the Department of the Environment will provide central figures for Common User Estate vacant space from 1990/91 to date. Figures prior to then are held by the Property Services Agency who, I am informed, could only access this information at disproportionate cost.
As to Land Registry accommodation that is not Common User Estate, I can provide the following estimates of costs of empty property for the years quoted:
(a) 1979-80: Nil
(b) 1989-90: Nil
(c) 1991-92: £15,200
(d) 1993-94: £244,360
(e) 1994-95: £240,099
(f) 1995-96: £379,728
(g) 1996-97: £397,931
The 1996-97 estimate represents the maximum potential costs over the full twelve month period. The properties are being actively marketed and the actual annual costs are likely to be lower.
Surplus accommodation has arisen in the Land Registry following reductions in its staff of some 3400 from the 1989-90 peak.
The Land Registry does not maintain any central records of the costs of under-utilised properties and this information could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.
Letter from Sarah Tyacke to Mr. Malcolm Bruce, dated 30 January 1996:
Mr. Bruce:
To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what is his estimate of departmental expenditure on administration for (a) 1979-80, (b) 1989-90, (c) 1991-92, (d) 1993-94, (e) 1994-95, (f) 1995-96 and (g) 1996-97. [11502]
I have been asked by the Lord Chancellor's Parliamentary Secretary to reply for the Public Record Office to your question about the cost of empty and under-utilised properties in the agencies for which he is responsible.
The properties of the Public Record Office form part of the Common User Estate. Since 1979, none has been empty or under-utilised.
Letter from Julia C. Lomas to Mr. Malcolm Bruce, dated 30 January 1996:
The Parliamentary Secretary has asked me to reply in respect of the Court Service to your Question about estimated annual expenditure on administration.
The estimated annual figures for expenditure on administration for the Court Service from 3 April 1995, the date on which the Court Service was established, are:
1995-1996: £32,307,000
1996-1997: £31,600,000.
Mr. Bruce:
To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what is his estimate of the expenditure of his Department and his Department's agencies and non-departmental public bodies on all forms of overseas travel, overseas accommodation and other associated expenses for (a) 1979-80, (b) 1989-90, (c) 1991-92, (d) 1993-94, (e) 1994-95, (f) 1995-96 and (g) 1996-97. [11503]
The Parliamentary Secretary has asked me to reply to you as part of the Lord Chancellor's Department's response to your Parliamentary Question, listed on 19 January 1996, regarding the estimated expenditure on administration for the years 1979-80, 1989-90, 1991-92, 1993-94, 1994-95, 1995-96 and 1996-97.
The Public Trust Office became and Agency on 1 July 1994 and the administration costs prior to that date can be found in the Lord Chancellor's Department's Departmental Report. The Annual Report for 1994-95 provides details of expenditure for that year, a copy of which can be found in the House of Commons Library, however the figure for that year and the estimate for 1995-96 and 1996-97 are given below.
1994-95: £18.5 million
1995-96: £19.76 million (estimate)
1996-97: £19.48 million (estimate)
It is worth noting that the Public Trust Office is required to cover its cost by fee income.
Letter from Julia C. Lomas to Mr. Malcolm Bruce, dated 30 January 1996:
The Court Service does not have a budget for overseas travel, accommodation and expenses. Consequently, the estimated expenditure for the financial year 1995-96 is nil and no allocation has been provided for the financial year 1996-97.
Letter from Dr. Elizabeth Hallam Smith to Mr. Malcolm Bruce, dated 30 January 1996:
The Parliamentary Secretary has asked me to reply to you as part of the Lord Chancellor's Department's response to your Parliamentary Question, listed on 19 January 1996, regarding the estimated expenditure for overseas travel for the years 1979-80, 1989-90, 1991-92, 1993-94, 1994-95, 1995-96 and 1996-97.
The Public Trust Office became an Agency on 1 July 1994, prior to which no separate figures are available for the cost of overseas travel, however, the estimated costs for 1994 onwards are as follows:
1994-95: No overseas travel
1995-96: £4,900
1996-97: £8,850
Letter from John Manthorpe to Mr. Malcolm Bruce, dated 30 January 1996:
In the absence of the Chief Executive, who is away from the Office on official business, I have been asked by the Lord Chancellor's Parliamentary Secretary to reply for the Public Record Office to your question about expenditure on overseas travel, overseas accommodation and associated expenses in the executive agencies for which he is responsible.
The Public Record Office does not keep separate figures for overseas travel, accommodation and associated expenses. It has found from its experience in calculating 1994-95 expenditure (which was £7,708) in response to an earlier Parliamentary Question (12 July 1995, Official Report, Column 600), that such figures could be supplied only at disproportionate cost.
I have been asked by the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department, to reply to your recent question on expenditure on all forms of overseas travel, overseas accommodation and other associated expenses. I can provide the following information for the years quoted:
(a) 1979-80: Figures are not readily available and could only be provided at disproportionate cost:
(b) 1989-90: Figures are not readily available and could only be provided at disproportionate cost:
(c) 1991-92: Figures are not readily available and could only be provided at disproportionate cost:
(d) 1993-94: £3780
(e) 1994-95: £8084
(f) 1995-96: £2550 (at 31.12.95)
(g) 1996-97: Estimated expenditure figures for 1996-97 are not yet available. The annual non-staff budget setting process is currently taking place and the Land Registry Budget Committee has yet to decide the final budget allocation.
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