asked the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how much each Opposition party has received, so far in the current year, from the fund for Opposition parties.
Payments to date in respect of the current calendar year in accordance with the resolutions of the House on 20 March 1975 and 13 February 1978 are as follows:
| £ | |
| Conservative Party | 55,585·00 |
| Labour Party | 93,132·00 |
| Liberal Party | 22,053·89 |
| Scottish National Party | 4,546·94 |
| Plaid Cymru | 1,489·49 |
| Social Democratic Labour Party | 371·25 |
| Ulster Democratic Unionist Party | 832·00 |
| United Ulster Unionist Coalition | 1,400·00 |
| Ulster Unionist Party | 1,832·00 |
asked the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster why the cost of replying to a question asking him to give for any stated date a list of his engagements is £24; whether he will give a breakdown as to how this figure is arrived at; and what action he has taken or intends taking to reduce the figure of £24 in answering such a parliamentary question.
I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Poole (Mr. Ward) on 2 November 1979. The figures referred to are estimated average costs.
asked the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how the cost of answering a parliamentary question is evaluated.
The cost figures which I gave to my hon. Friend, the Member for Poole (Mr. Ward) on 2 November 1979 were based on updating the results of a sample survey of the staff costs in Departments.