§ 22. Mr. A. Edwardsasked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Works and Buildings whether, in view of the diminishing amount of building for which his Department is responsible, there is a proportionate reduction in his staff; and whether he can give figures showing the number engaged to-day and a year ago?
§ Mr. HicksDuring the expansion of the building programme the Ministry avoided large increases in staff by utilising to a considerable extent the services, on a commission basis, of firms in private practice. Up to the present time there has been no such diminution of work falling upon the staff of the Ministry as would warrant a reduction in that staff, but the question of staff in relation to work is under continuous review. The total staff of the Ministry on 1st January, 1942, was 12,720, as compared with 8,670 a year ago. I regret that it is not possible readily to give separate figures for the staff employed solely in connection with the build- 1040 ing programme. The increase indicated is due almost entirely to the large expansion of existing services in connection with the construction, provision and maintenance of buildings and supplies required by civil Departments generally, as well as the large extension of the activities of the Ministry in connection with such matters as control of civil building, registration of builders, recovery of salvage, etc. I should add that, while it is the case that the amount of new work undertaken by the Ministry is beginning rapidly to diminish, it will be some time before this diminution is reflected in the amount of work actually in process.
§ Mr. EdwardsIs my hon. Friend aware that many Government Departments which have to depend on his Ministry for building now consider that the delays incurred suggest that his Ministry is becoming quite top heavy and cannot do the work for which it has been so ill designed, and is he considering the question of allowing the building Departments to revert to the Ministries concerned?
§ Mr. EdwardsWill my hon. Friend consider a case which I will put before him where 5 per cent. of the work has been done and the completion date is overdue, entirely owing to the fact that his Ministry has held the matter up?
§ Mr. HicksI cannot accept the statement that the completion date is overdue. Frequently the completion date is purely imaginary in relation to the physical factors involved.
§ Mr. EdwardsIs the hon. Member aware that I am quoting a statement by his Department, which I shall be glad to give him?