§ 60. Mr. G. Brownasked the Minister of Labour if he will give the list of employment exchanges and branch offices which will either be closed or have their standard of service reduced by the economies now being adopted by his Department.
§ The Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Labour and National Service (Mr. Robert Carr)My right hon. Friend has set on foot a review of the existing network of local offices of the Ministry in order to ascertain what changes can be made in the interests of economy and efficiency. It will be some time before he will be in a position to make a statement on the results of this review.
§ Mr. BrownWould the hon. Gentleman look at that again, because it begins to look as though some of these Answers are a little less than frank with the House? Is it not a fact that, in negotiations with the Staff Side, the figure of 850 officers to be dispensed with—half by September—has already been notified? If the 1040 Minister has not yet made an investigation to see where economies can be made, how can he make a decision on who is to be dispensed with?
§ Mr. CarrThe position is that, in principle, we have decided that there is room for economies, but no decisions have been made about any particular offices. When those decisions have been made, information will be given.