HC Deb 09 December 1958 vol 597 cc193-4
21. Captain Pilkington

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he will give figures to show the difference at the latest available date in 1958 compared with the same date in 1951 of the number of Government Ministries and the number of civil servants, respectively.

Mr. Amory

There are 23 Government Ministries now; there were 27 in 1951. On the 1st October, 1958, there were 632,316 non-industrial civil servants; on the 1st October, 1951, there were 685,447.

Captain Pilkington

Does my right hon. Friend agree that these figures are another striking example of Conservative success?

Mr. Amory

I entirely agree with my hon. and gallant Friend.

Mr. H. Wilson

Would the right hon. Gentleman say how much more rapidly we reduced the number of civil servants in the years after the war—[HON. MEMBERS: "Oh."]—yes, and the figures are on the record. If the argument is that we do not want people in allegedly un-productive occupations, would the Chancellor point out to his hon. and gallant Friend that this year alone the number of miscellaneous and other workers in non-productive occupations is increasing by 40,000?

Mr. Amory

I would remind the right hon. Gentleman that to run down an economy from a war-time to a peace-time administration is not the same as running it down over seven years of peace-time.