To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many people employed in her Department work on administering EU structural funds; and what the cost of such staff was in 2006-07. (176044)

Communities and Local Government employed a division of 28 people in 2006-07 to administer England’s European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) grant programmes. The staff cost for that year was £1.2 million.

The division has been reorganised during 2007-08 and the number of staff employed is currently being reduced.