asked the Minister for the Civil Service what is the cost to public funds of the payment of London weighting allowances to civil servants.

The annual cost of London weighting in the Civil Service is about £61·5 million on basic salaries—that is, exclusive of the effect of London weighting on such things as overtime or shift earnings and on pensions. This is based on the most recent figures of non-industrial and industrial civil servants in the London pay area or holding London weighting on a reserved rights basis.