Notes:

(1) I would refer the hon. Gentleman to my reply to the hon. Member for Central Fife ( Official Report, 23 July 1986, columns 229–30) which gave the costs of my office on a consistent basis.

(2) The basis for the total costs changed in (i) 1981–82 when charging by Ministry of Defence for its aircraft was introduced; (ii) 1983–84, when the Property Services Agency introduced charging for buildings and services; (iii) 1984–85, when Ministry of Defence introduced charging for the Service staff at Chequers; and (iv) 1986–87 when the cost of office services was included for the first time. After allowing for the inclusion of the costs at (iv) above, the estimated cost of all my offices will not have increased since 1985–86.

(3) Following the abolition of the CPRS, the policy unit in the Prime Minister's Office was strengthened by four staff. In the last full year of its existence (1982–83) CPRS employed 35 people and cost £1,109,000. Thus, while the cost of my Office increased as a result of the abolition of the CPRS, substantial net overall savings were made.

(4) Salaries and wages, notional pension liability and administration costs and the grant-in-aid to the Chequers Trust are included. My salary as a Cabinet Minister is included but my pay and allowances as a Member of this House are excluded.

(5) Billing delays prevent some costs from being shown in the financial year in which the goods and services were provided. The above figures, therefore, do not necessarily reflect when the expenditure was actually incurred.

(6) Since the answer given on 23 July 1986 to the hon. Member for Central Fife ( Official Report, 23 July, 1986, columns 229–30), the GDP deflator, used to measure the constant price effect, has been re-based from 1984–85 = 100 to 1985–86 = 100.

The annual costs since 1979 of entertainment, accommodation allowances and foreign visits are as follows:—