To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how many staff are employed by the Parliamentary Counsel Office on a (a) full-time equivalent and (b) headcount basis; and how many such staff were employed on 1 January (i) 2007 and (ii) 2008. (231783)

As at the end of September 2008 there were 83 people employed in the Office of the Parliamentary Counsel. This equated to 79.91 full-time equivalents.

87 people were employed in the Office of the Parliamentary Counsel as at 1 January 2007. This equated to 84.42 full-time equivalents. 82 people were employed in the Office as at 1 January 2008. This equated to 81.5 full-time equivalents.