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East Midlands Development Agency

Volume 705: debated on Wednesday 12 November 2008

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Further to the Written Answer by Pat McFadden MP on 10 July (Official Report, House of Commons, col. 1741W), why salary costs for the East Midlands Development Agency rose by 101.8 per cent between 2002–03 and 2007–08 while other administration increased over the same period by 12.6 per cent. [HL6054]

The main reason for the rise of salary cost is because EMDA has taken on additional responsibilities over the five-year period. This has resulted in new posts, which in the majority of cases have been filled by the transfer of staff from their existing organisation. This has included the transfer of Business Links, East Midlands Tourism, the Modernising Rural Delivery Programme, and the Rural Development Programme for England 2007-13 and the European Regional Development Fund Programme 2007-13. EMDA's average staff complement has increased from 170 in 2002-03 to 261 in 2007-08.

In relation to other administration costs, which have increased over the period in question, due to inflationary pressures and the higher level of staff, economies of scale have meant that this increase has been proportionately less than for staff costs.