§ 11. Mr. POTTERasked the First Lord of the Admiralty if he will state the total of the Admiralty clerical staff, as at a convenient date, during the first half of 1914 and the total on 1st July, 1932; will he state by how many persons the total has been, or will be, reduced as a result of the economy campaign in the accountant's and secretary's departments; and whether he is taking steps to reduce the total by not less than 100 before the end of the current financial year?
The FIRST LORD of the ADMIRALTY (Sir Bolton Eyres Monsell)With regard to the first part of the question, I would refer my hon. Friend to the reply given to the hon. and gallant Member for Chester (Sir C. Cayzer) on the 25th May. The figure then given was for the 1st April, 1932, and has since been reduced by 16. I regret that I am unable to give the figures or undertaking asked for in the remainder of the question, but I would point out that the economies resulting from the merger of the secretary's and accountant-general's departments are to be seen in the reduction of the cost of the staff rather than in the number of persons employed, because the concentration and redistribution of work which is now in progress makes possible and justifies a reduction in the number of higher paid posts and the employment of less expensive clerical grades.