asked the Secretary of State for the Environment, if he will give (a) the total cost of running his Department and (b) the total number of civil servants employed in each year since 1979.

The information requested is as follows:

	DOE(c) administrative expenditure (£,000)		Number of civil servants employed
	Cost	Real terms1	at 1 April
1979–80	87,078	140,853	1979	11,217
1980–81	116,060	158,256	1980	10,530
1981–82	114,679	142,381	1981	9,821
1982–83	112,395	130,114	1982	8,771
1983–84	145,409	161,148	1983	7,813
1984–85	130,294	138,416	1984	6,605
1985–86	139,563	139,563	1985	6,561
1986–87	140,750	136,650	1986	6,521
1 These figures are expressed at 1985–86 prices, in line with the latest Public Expenditure White Paper (Command 56).

The expenditure figures include all capital and current administrative expenditures. For 1986–87 a Treasury definition of running costs has been established which excludes capital and certain minor current expenditures on this basis the figure for 1986–87 would be £133,582,000. (£129,691 in real terms).