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Ministerial Office and Staff

Volume 450: debated on Tuesday 10 October 2006

To ask the Deputy Prime Minister pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Coventry South (Mr. Cunningham) of 21 June 2006, Official Report, column 1875W, on departmental staff, how many of the staff enumerated in the answer provide support or assistance to him. (82942)

To ask the Deputy Prime Minister (1) pursuant to his answer to the hon. Member for Brentwood (Mr. Pickles) of 21 June 2006, Official Report, column 1867W, on his private office, which Government Department funds his private office; (83227)

(2) whether the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister is a Government Department.

To ask the Deputy Prime Minister (1) whether the new Office of the Deputy Prime Minister is a Government Department in its own right; (90312)

(2) in which Cabinet Office building or buildings the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister is located;

(3) how many full-time equivalent staff work in his Office;

(4) which other Government Departments are providing administrative and policy support to his new office; and how many full-time equivalent civil servants are providing such support;

(5) how many full-time equivalent staff provide support to his special advisers.

To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many full-time equivalent staff there are in his (a) private office and (b) secretariat. (86854)

I have been given a role by my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister overseeing and co-ordinating Government policy across the full range of domestic policy areas through the Cabinet Committee system, and deputising for him at home and abroad, particularly in relation to China. To support me I have an office which will be called the Deputy Prime Minister's Office. It will be established as a separate Government Department and funded by a parliamentary vote for which my Office will apply shortly. My principal private secretary will be the accounting officer for the vote. At present, my Office employs 18 staff, including two special advisers. I also receive support and briefing from other Government Departments as necessary according to the issue I am dealing with at the time. Most of the staff employed by my Office are seconded from the Department for Communities and Local Government and their salary costs are met by my Office. My office continues to be based in 26 Whitehall.