5 Resourcing the work
5.1 The table below shows the cost of running my
office in 2011-12 compared to previous years.
TABLE 4: COSTS OF RUNNING THE COMMISSIONER'S
OFFICE BETWEEN 2006-07 AND 2011-12
| | 2006-07
| 2007-08
| 2008-09
| 2009-10
| 2010-11
| 2011-12
|
| £
| £
| £
| £
| £
| £
|
| Staffing etc |
379,609 | 419,816
| 494,005 |
578,300 | 584,579
| 450,000[22]
|
| Other running costs
| 6,939 |
5,881 | 5,850
| 10,256 |
15,071 | 6,871
|
| Total | 386,548
| 425,697 |
499,855 | 588,556
| 599,680 |
456,871 |
| | |
| | | |
5.2 I have been able this year to reduce substantially the costs
of my office, which are overwhelmingly staff costs. This lower
resource requirement enabled me still to manage my reduced inquiries
caseload while undertaking comprehensive reviews of the Code of
Conduct and the Guide to the Rules and maintaining and in some
cases extending the registration service. Overall, there was a
reduction in my resource requirement of just under 25% from the
last financial year. On 31 March 2011 my office had a staff equivalent
to 7.5 full time employees, including myself. In 2010-11 I had
already reduced my staff complement by three full time equivalents.
During the current reporting year, I was able to reduce my staff
further by the equivalent of two full time posts. On 31 March
2012 my office comprised the equivalent of 5.5 full time staff,
including myself, down from the 10.5 full time staff employed
in April 2010.
5.3 Table 4 shows that my other running costs during 2011-12 were
lower than in 2009-10 and 2010-11. This was because I had no occasion
to draw on expert advice to help me with my inquiries, as I had
in each of the previous two years. The £6,871 shown in the
table above relates only to the costs of printing two documents:
the Register of Members' Financial Interests in January 2012,
and my last annual report to Parliament in July 2011. I was able
to make some savings in these costs by adopting more modest printing
formats. I also ended the practice of sending a hard copy of my
Annual Report to each Member; instead I now send this to each
Member electronically.
5.4 I was grateful to the House authorities for their assistance
in helping me realise these savings while preserving the necessary
levels of service to the House and the public.
22 Includes estimate for secondment costs of one member
of staff not yet invoiced Back
|
