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Mr. George
asked the Lord President of the Council how many (a) Cabinet Ministers, (b) other Ministers and (c) senior civil servants of under-secretary rank and above have appeared before each of the new Select Committees for each parliamentary Session since their appointment; and if he will also list the number of their appearances before the same Committees.
Mr. Biffen
The information is set out in the following tables.
| Session 1979–80 | |||
| Committee | Cabinet Ministers | Non-Cabinet Ministers | Open-structure civil servants |
| Number who have appeared | |||
| Agriculture | 1 | 0 | 4 |
| Defence | 1 | 0 | 10 |
| Education, Science and Arts | 2 | 0 | 11 |
| Employment | 1 | 2 | 9 |
| Energy | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Environment | 1 | 1 | 4 |
| Foreign Affairs | 1 | 4 | 24 |
| Sub-Committee | 0 | 1 | 9 |
| Home Affairs | 0 | 2 | 3 |
| Sub-Committee | 1 | 0 | 6 |
| Industry and Trade | 2 | 2 | 6 |
| Scottish Affairs | 1 | 2 | 15 |
| Social Services | 1 | 2 | 4 |
| Transport | 1 | 1 | 9 |
| Treasury and Civil Service | 1 | 1 | 19 |
| Sub-Committee | 0 | 0 | 16 |
| Welsh Affairs | 2 | 0 | 7 |
| Number of appearances | |||
| Agriculture | 1 | 0 | 4 |
| Defence | 1 | 0 | 19 |
| Education, Science and Arts | 4 | 0 | 18 |
| Employment | 4 | 2 | 13 |
| Energy | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Environment | 1 | 1 | 6 |
| Foreign Affairs | 2 | 9 | 51 |
| Sub-Committee | 0 | 1 | 14 |
| Home Affairs | 0 | 2 | 4 |
| Sub-Committee | 1 | 0 | 7 |
| Industry and Trade | 2 | 2 | 6 |
| Scottish Affairs | 1 | 2 | 10 |
| Social Services | 3 | 2 | 10 |
| Transport | 1 | 1 | 18 |
| Treasury and Civil Service | 4 | 2 | 41 |
| Sub-Committee | 0 | 0 | 19 |
| Welsh Affairs | 3 | 0 | 19 |
| Session 1980–81 | |||
| Committee | Cabinet Ministers | Non-Cabinet Ministers | Open- structure civil servants |
| Number who have appeared of | |||
| Agriculture | 0 | 0 | 4 |
| Defence | 1 | 0 | 19 |
| Education, Science and Arts | 1 | 2 | 13 |
| Employment | 2 | 2 | 11 |
| Energy | 1 | 0 | 3 |
| Environment | 1 | 1 | 4 |
| Foreign Affairs | 2 | 3 | 12 |
| Sub-Committee | 0 | 2 | 8 |
| Home Affairs | 3 | 0 | 5 |
| Sub-Committee | 0 | 1 | 9 |
| Industry and Trade | 2 | 2 | 6 |
| Scottish Affairs | 1 | 3 | 5 |
| Social Services | 1 | 0 | 6 |
| Transport | 0 | 1 | 4 |
| Treasury and Civil Service | 2 | 0 | 14 |
| Committee | Cabinet Ministers | Non-Cabinet Ministers | Open-structure civil servants |
| Number who have appeared of | |||
| Sub-Committee | 1 | 0 | 10 |
| Welsh Affairs | 1 | 1 | 7 |
| number of appearances | |||
| Agriculture | 0 | 0 | 4 |
| Defence | 2 | 0 | 31 |
| Education, Science and Arts | 3 | 2 | 14 |
| Employment | 4 | 2 | 13 |
| Energy | 1 | 0 | 10 |
| Environment | 1 | 1 | 5 |
| Foreign Affairs | 3 | 4 | 16 |
| Sub-Committee | 0 | 2 | 13 |
| Home Affairs | 3 | 0 | 6 |
| Sub-Committee | 0 | 1 | 9 |
| Industry and Trade | 4 | 2 | 6 |
| Scottish Affairs | 2 | 4 | 6 |
| Social Services | 2 | 0 | 10 |
| Transport | 0 | 1 | 6 |
| Treasury and Civil Service | 2 | 0 | 23 |
| Sub-Committee | 1 | 0 | 10 |
| Welsh Affairs | 1 | 1 | 13 |
| Session 1981–82 | |||
| Committee | Cabinet Minister | Non-Cabinet Ministers | Open-structure civil servants |
| Number who have appeared of | |||
| Agriculture | *1 | 0 | 6 |
| Defence | 1 | 2 | 20 |
| Education, Science and Arts | 5 | 8 | 14 |
| Employment | 1 | 3 | 4 |
| Energy | 2 | 2 | 3 |
| Environment | 0 | 2 | 3 |
| Foreign Affairs | 2 | 1 | 10 |
| Sub-Committee | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| Home Affairs | 0 | 1 | 5 |
| Sub-Committee | 3 | 3 | 8 |
| Industry and Trade | 1 | 3 | 8 |
| Scottish Affairs | 1 | 3 | 5 |
| Social Services | 2 | 4 | 8 |
| Transport | 3 | 0 | 7 |
| Treasury and Civil Service | 1 | 0 | 21 |
| Sub-Committee | 3 | 2 | 26 |
| Welsh Affairs | 1 | 1 | 12 |
| Number of appearances | |||
| Agriculture | *1 | 0 | 8 |
| Defence | 3 | 2 | 24 |
| Education, Science and Arts | 8 | 14 | 24 |
| Employment | 3 | 4 | 6 |
| Energy | 2 | 2 | 4 |
| Environment | 0 | 2 | 5 |
| Foreign Affairs | 3 | 1 | 21 |
| Sub-Committee | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| Home Affairs | 0 | 1 | 7 |
| Sub-Committee | 3 | 6 | 10 |
| Industry and Trade | 2 | 6 | 8 |
| Scottish Affairs | 2 | 3 | 3 |
| Social Services | 2 | 4 | 12 |
| Transport | 3 | 0 | 14 |
| Treasury and Civil Service | 4 | 0 | 50 |
| Sub-Committee | 3 | 2 | 30 |
| Welsh Affairs | 2 | 1 | 16 |
* Not a formal proceeding.
Mr. George
asked the Lord President of the Council if he will list the number of witnesses from central Government Departments who have appeared before each of the new Select Committees for each parliamentary Session since their appointment; and what is the number of times they have given evidence.
Mr. Biffen
The information is set out in the following tables.
| Session 1979–80 | ||
| Committee | Number of witnesses | Number of appearances |
| Agriculture | 23 | 25 |
| Defence | 49 | 67 |
| Education, Science and Arts | 26 | 34 |
| Employment | 10 | 13 |
| Energy | 2 | 2 |
| Environment | 10 | 12 |
| Foreign Affairs | 12 | 16 |
| Sub-Committee | 20 | 31 |
| Home Affairs | 16 | 18 |
| Sub-Committee | 10 | 11 |
| Industry and Trade | 26 | 29 |
| Scottish Affairs | 26 | 31 |
| Social Services | 14 | 29 |
| Transport | 14 | 24 |
| Treasury and Civil Service | 23 | 50 |
| Sub-Committee | 17 | 20 |
| Welsh Affairs | 14 | 27 |
| Session 1980–81 | ||
| Committee | Number of witnesses | Number of appearances |
| Agriculture | 13 | 13 |
| Defence | 49 | 63 |
| Education, Science and Arts | 34 | 37 |
| Employment | 8 | 10 |
| Energy | 27 | 33 |
| Environment | 8 | 9 |
| Foreign Affairs | 27 | 32 |
| Sub-Committee | 12 | 17 |
| Home Affairs | 10 | 14 |
| Sub-Committee | 31 | 34 |
| Industry and Trade | 25 | 28 |
| Scottish Affairs | 21 | 29 |
| Social Services | 13 | 24 |
| Transport | 8 | 10 |
| Treasury and Civil Service | 16 | 25 |
| Sub-Committee | 14 | 14 |
| Welsh Affairs | 18 | 25 |
| Session 1981–82 | ||
| Committee | Number of witnesses | Number of appearances |
| Agriculture | 18 | 25 |
| Defence | 47 | 54 |
| Education, Science and Arts | 42 | 62 |
| Employment | 10 | 13 |
| Energy | 12 | 15 |
| Environment | 18 | 24 |
| Foreign Affairs | 11 | 18 |
| Sub-Committee | 11 | 14 |
| Home Affairs | 13 | 14 |
| Sub-Committee | 28 | 37 |
| Industry and Trade | 17 | 21 |
| Scottish Affairs | 15 | 22 |
| Social Services | 28 | 39 |
| Transport | 21 | 29 |
| Treasury and Civil Service | 30 | 60 |
| Sub-Committee | 39 | 46 |
| Welsh Affairs | 38 | 46 |