asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list in the Official Report the total cost of running each regional economic planning council in the last 12 months for which figures are available; and what is the estimated charge on public funds for each council for 1978–79.

Figures for the annual cost of running the economic planning councils are not available in the form requested. They are included in the cost of the Department's regional organisation and cannot be separately identified.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list in the Official Report the total cost of running the Nature Conservancy Council in the last 12 months for which figures are available; and what is the estimated charge to public funds for 1978–79.

The accounts for 1976–77 included in the Nature Conservancy Council's latest annual report show expenditure of £5,028,000. For 1977–78 the provisional figure will be £6,142,000.The present approved estimated cost to public funds for 1978–79 is £6·4 million. I shall be seeking the approval of Parliament to increase this to £8 million.An announcement will be made later about appropriate cash block adjustments.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list in the Official Report the total cost of running each of the new town development corporations in the last 12 months for which figures are available; and what is the estimated charge to public funds for each for 1978–79.

Full details of the income and expenditure of the English development corporations are given in their annual reports. These are published by Her Majesty's Stationery Office in one volume and are available in the Library. The figures for 1977–78 are not yet available but in 1976–77 the administration costs of the English corporations, covering such items as salaries, professional fees, rent, rates, maintenance of offices, travel and subsistence and publicity, were as set out in the following table, which also gives the estimated comparable costs for 1978–79.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list in the Official Report the total cost of running the National Water Council in the last 12 months for which figures are available; and what is the estimated charge to public funds for 1978–79.

The accounts for 1976–77 included in the Council's latest annual report show total expenditure of nearly £4 million. The Council's expenditure is almost entirely financed by the water authorities. I am advised by the National Water Council that its projected budget for 1978–79 amounts to just under £5 million at outturn prices.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list in the Official Report the total cost of running the Location of Offices Bureau in the last 12 months for which figures are available; and what is the estimated charge to public funds for 1978–79.

The last published accounts of the Bureau, for 1976–77, showed expenditure of £202,000. The accounts for the year ending 31st March 1978 are expected to be published next month; I understand the total costs for that year were £254,000. The estimated charge to public funds for 1978–79 is £521,000, the increase reflecting the new roles of the Bureau.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list in the Official Report the total cost of running the National Building Agency in the last 12 months for which figures are available; and what is the estimated charge to public funds.

The total expenditure of the Agency in 1976–77 was £1,883,145. Of this, £1,075,064 was expenditure on the staff remuneration. My Department paid a net amount of £320,360 to the Agency in grant-in-aid to cover work commissioned by central Government together with a contribution to certain of the Agency's costs.