§ 5. Mr. Shinwellasked the Minister of Supply, in view of the reductions in the supply of military aircraft and other equipment for the Forces, how far he is reducing the staff in his Department; and to what extent he contemplates a reduction in expenditure.
§ Mr. Aubrey JonesIn reply to the first part of the Question, I would refer the right hon. Member to the reply given to my hon. Friend the Member for Macclesfield (Sir A. V. Harvey) on 11th November and add that further staff reductions are being made in the second half of this financial year. As regards the second part of the Question, I am unable to anticipate next year's Estimates.
§ Mr. ShinwellCan the right hon. Gentleman say to what extent there has been a reduction in staff?
§ Mr. JonesYes, Sir. As was indicated to my hon. and gallant Friend the Member for Macclesfield a few weeks ago, the reductions which had taken place in this financial year were so far of the order of 874 7,000. I would expect another 2,000 to 3,000 in the course of the remainder of the financial year, a total of 9,000 to 10,000, which I would say would be a reduction of about 10 per cent.
§ Mr. ShinwellWill this mean a reduction in expenditure?
§ Mr. JonesYes, Sir, of course; it will mean some reduction in expenditure, but offhand I could not give a figure.