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Regional Government

Mr. Allen: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister on what date he plans to issue a White Paper on Elected Regional Government. [7164]

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The Deputy Prime Minister: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer that I gave my hon. Friend the Member for Preston (Mr. Hendrick) on 2 July 2001, Official Report, column 80W.

Duchy of Lancaster Tenants

Mr. Peter Ainsworth: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what his policy is towards farm improvement schemes proposed by Duchy of Lancaster tenants with farm business tenancies. [7875]

Mr. Leslie: I have been asked to reply by my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster.

Duchy policy is to look at each proposal on its own merits and if considered reasonable and viable for both the tenant and the Duchy the necessary consent would be granted. In assessing a proposal, due regard is given to the scale and nature of the improvements as well as the length of the tenancy, whether a farm business tenancy or Agricultural Holding Act tenancy.

Mr. Peter Ainsworth: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what measures have been taken to assist Duchy of Lancaster tenants whose businesses have been affected by the economic impact of foot and mouth disease. [7874]

Mr. Leslie: I have been asked to reply by my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster.

There have been no cases of foot and mouth on any of the Duchy Estates although one farm in Whitewell was culled owing to a 'dangerous contact'. Form D Notices restricting animal movements have affected a number of Duchy tenants. The Duchy has maintained a close watch on tenants who are considered to be vulnerable throughout the outbreak of foot and mouth disease. Duchy officials are always available to talk and discuss a tenant's concerns on a confidential basis.

The Duchy of Lancaster maintains a policy of sympathetic treatment of any tenant who is in genuine difficulty owing to external circumstances beyond their control and adversely affecting their business. Each individual case is looked at on its own merits and circumstances. Measures that have been taken include rental reduction, rebates and deferrals. The Duchy is also assisting some tenants financially who have chosen to take early retirement rather than continue within the agricultural industry.

Correspondence

Mr. Salmond: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what was, for each year since 1995, (1) the average response time for providing a substantive answer to (a) hon. Members' correspondence, (b) correspondence from members of the public and (c) written parliamentary questions in the (i) Commons and (ii) Lords; [7052]

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Mr. Leslie: The prompt and efficient handling of correspondence and parliamentary questions is an issue to which I, and ministerial colleagues, attach great importance.

General information on the volumes of correspondence received across Whitehall and on overall performance is published regularly. The most recent figures, for 2000, were published by the then Minister for the Cabinet Office, Marjorie Mowlam, in her answer to my hon. Friend the Member for St. Helens, North (Mr. Watts) on 6 April 2001, Official Report, columns 324–28W and in my answer to my hon. Friend the Member for Croydon, Central (Geraint Davies) on 19 July 2001, Official Report, columns 454–56W. On parliamentary questions, the information requested is not held in the form requested, and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

London Weighting

Pete Wishart: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will estimate the total annual value of London weightings and London living allowances for his Department; and if he will make a statement. [6782]

Mr. Leslie: Since 1996, Departments and agencies have had responsibility for setting the level of pay for their staff. The Cabinet Office, the Central Office of Information, the Government Car and Despatch Agency, the Equal Opportunities Commission, and the Government Offices all operate their own pay systems.

The Cabinet Office consolidated London weighting into basic pay in 1997. At that time its value was £1,776.

The Central Office of Information consolidated London weighting into basic pay in 1999. At that time its value was £1,912.

The Government Car and Despatch Agency pays non-industrial staff working in London an allowance of £1,776 p.a. Industrial staff working in London had the £1,776 allowance consolidated into basic pay in 2001.

The Equal Opportunities Commission pays each person working in London an allowance of £1,914 p.a.

Staff working in the Government Office for London had London weighting consolidated into basic pay in 1997. At that time its value was £1,776 p.a.

Ministerial Travel

Mr. Salmond: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister (1) on how many occasions in each year since 1992 non-commercial flights were used by Ministers in his Department for official overseas visits; what the (a) destination, (b) Ministers involved, (c) cost and (d) reason for use of non-commercial flights were on each occasion; and if he will make a statement; [6908]

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Mr. Leslie: I refer the hon. Member to the answer provided today by my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister, at column 824W.

Departmental Staff

Pete Wishart: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many and what proportion of each Civil Service grade in

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his Department is located in each region and nation of the UK; what the average salary is for each grade; and if he will make a statement. [6784]

Mr. Leslie: The total numbers and proportions of staff respectively in each Civil Service grade and region in the Cabinet Office and its agencies at 1 April 2000 (the most recent statistics available) were as set out in the tables.

Distribution of staff by grade at 1 April 2000

Cabinet OfficeCivil Service CollegeParliamentary CounselGovernment Car and Despatch AgencySecurity Facilities Division(61) Total
All grades
Number1,316242472281491,982
Percentage66122128100
SCS level
Number 1103351149
Percentage60208
Level 6/7
Number 2098523298
Percentage1140015
SEO/HEO level
Number2871617311
Percentage1410016
EO level
Number2934259348
Percentage1520018
AO/AA level
Number41896511530
Percentage2150127
Industrial/Other grades
Number19780277
Percentage10414

(61) Security Facilities Division figures and total include 69 non-industrial staff for whom statistics by grade are not available.


Distribution of staff by region at 1 April 2000

Cabinet OfficeCivil Service CollegeParliamentary CounselGovernment Car and Despatch AgencySecurity Facilities Division(62) Total(62)
All Regions
Number1,316242472281491,982
Percentage66122128100
London
Number 1,25311472121,523
Percentage63121177
South-east
Number 47228—-275
Percentage21214
Eastern
Number16319
Percentage101
West Midlands
Number11
Percentage00
Yorkshire and Humberside
Number33
Percentage00
Wales
Number1212
Percentage11

(62) Total includes 149 Security Facilities Division staff for whom statistics by region are not available


Since 1996, Departments and agencies have had responsibility for setting the level of pay for their staff. The current constituent bodies of the Cabinet Office, including the Central Office of Information, the Government Car and Despatch Agency, the Equal Opportunities Commission, and the Government Offices all operate their own pay systems.

Up-to-date information is available from payroll records, taking account of negotiated pay increases for 2000. This information also reflects the machinery of government changes that took place after the June 2001 general election, which included the transfer to the Cabinet Office of responsibility for the Government Offices for the Regions. Current average salaries, by grade, for the Cabinet Office constituent bodies are:

Cabinet OfficeCentral Office of InformationGovernment Car and Despatch AgencyEqual Opportunities CommissionGovernment Offices for the Regions(63)
SCS level67,33083,62062,00053,748
Level 6/738,26339,06548,22436,28139,282
SEO/HEO level25,03028,19829,00022,58324,213
EO level19,03519,53324,82617,07817,145
AO/AA level14,28713,61116,51212,32312,712
Industrial/Other grades28,40219,459

(63) Security Facilities Division figures and total include 69 non-industrial staff for whom statistics by grade are not available.


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Pete Wishart: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will estimate the number of staff employed by his Department by region and nation of the UK; and if he will make a statement. [6780]

Mr. Leslie: The total number of staff employed in the Cabinet Office and its agencies in each region and nation

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of the UK at 1 April 2000 (the most recent statistics available) was 1,980. The breakdown by geographical area is as shown in the table. This shows analogous distributions for the whole of the Civil Service at that date and is drawn from the publication "Civil Service Statistics 2000", issued on 31 August 2001.

Regional distribution of staff as at 1 April 2000

All staff (full-time equivalent)
Government office region
LondonSouth EastTotal London and South EastSouth WestWest MidlandsNorth WestNorth EastMerseyside
Agriculture, Fisheries and Food3,0307703,8001,2104408801100
Cabinet Office1,5202701,80000000
Crown Prosecution Service1,3005201,820330530620320200
Customs and Excise5,5103,5309,0409401,0401,4905201,040
Culture, Media and Sport620062000000
Ministry of Defence8,64022,62031,26022,7708,0101,320490840
Education and Employment6,8502,3409,1902,3602,8303,4802,500960
Environment, Transport and the Regions4,3508705,2201,76079073037080
Health and Safety Executive/Commission66014081070160150701,290
Foreign and Commonwealth Office4,600404,64000000
Health2,4802902,7802302306901300
HM Land Registry7805101,3001,500630470660500
Home Office6,9901,1808,17025074040080960
HM Prison Service4,7206,93011,6503,0503,8304,2703,040780
Inland Revenue8,3706,37014,7504,0004,0807,9207,6403,840
International Development720072000000
Intervention Board09509500002800
Lord Chancellor's5,4901,0706,560400710750130320
Office for National Statistics7306401,380001000540
Ordnance Survey201,4201,4505040402010
Registers of Scotland00000000
Scottish Executive1001000000
Social Security9,1005,78014,8905,0606,84015,6609,7803,810
Trade and Industry4,7502504,99024041029022050
Treasury830083000000
National Assembly for Wales00000000
Royal Mint2002000000
Other Departments4,0801204,2005,040750250430220
All permanent staff86,19056,630142,82049,25032,08039,50426,78015,440
All casual staff1,7901,0902,990610615815800330

All staff (full-time equivalent)

Government office region
Yorkshire and HumbersideEast MidlandsEasternWalesScotlandNorthern IrelandUnreported and ElsewhereAll areas
Agriculture, Fisheries and Food1,5404008602001100309,590
Cabinet Office002010001501,980
Crown Prosecution Service6003803003500005,450
Customs and Excise9108503,7304901,2705305021,910
Culture, Media and Sport0000000620
Ministry of Defence2,9902,6306,4004,9809,4003,2306,040100,330
Education and Employment5,6301,9201,9401,8903,3600036,060
Environment, Transport and the Regions7405508403,69039001,93017,070
Health and Safety Executive/ Commission450270180110280003,820
Foreign and Commonwealth Office0082000005,470
Health1,0402020000105,160
HM Land Registry4308508205900007,750
Home Office400406104602401305012,550
HM Prison Service4,5503,5003,750750001,37040,560
Inland Revenue5,2404,0103,5103,8706,0901,4001066,330
International Development00004300501,210
Intervention Board00000001,230
Lord Chancellors52041057027000010,640
Office for National Statistics0008500002,870
Ordnance Survey4040503050001,820
Registers of Scotland00001,280001,280
Scottish Executive000010,340050010,850
Social Security7,5903,5003,3503,8809,160101083,530
Trade and Industry3101902001,69023010108,840
Treasury0000000830
National Assembly for Wales0002,5700002,570
Royal Mint0001,0200001,030
Other Departments1001002703801,75011048014,080
All permanent staff33,06019,65028,22028,08044,3905,40010,740475,410
All casual staff6803405509501,090401,60011,300

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