§ 19. Mr. Bryant Godman Irvineasked the Secretary of State for the Colonies what is the total number of staff employed by the Colonial Office at any convenient date five years ago and today.
§ Mrs. WhiteOn 1st April, 1960, there were 1,748 staff employed by this office. Today there are 591.
§ Mr. Godman IrvineIs the hon. Lady satisfied that this is about right in relation to the responsibilities that the Department is now exercising?
§ Mrs. WhiteThe Department has the staff it requires. It will, of course, be understood by the House that when the Department for Technical Co-operation was established in 1961 a number of members of the Colonial Office staff were transferred to that Department.
§ Mr. SandysDo not the steep decline in the numbers employed in the Colonial Office and the undoubted anxiety which exists among the officials about their future emphasise the importance of fixing as soon as possible the date when the Colonial Office will be amalgamated with the Commonwealth Relations Office?
§ Mrs. WhiteAs the right hon. Gentleman will know, my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister confirmed, in reply to a Question from the hon. Member for Surbiton (Mr. Fisher) on 23rd February, that the ultimate intention is to merge these two Departments. In the meantime, the Colonial Office staff are aware that they have opportunities to transfer to the Diplomatic Service, which covers all the overseas Departments, and we have no reason to think that it would be to the advantage of the Colonial Territories at this moment of time to merge the two Departments.
§ Sir G. NicholsonAs the hon. Lady's right hon. Friend is evidently of the opinion that there is not enough talent in the Colonial Office to give advice about the British Colonial Empire, are foreign nationals to take part in the work of the Colonial Office?
§ Mrs. WhiteI do not consider that that is required.
§ Mr. TinnWould my hon. Friend agree that her answer shows that at least under a Labour Government Parkinson's Law does not apply?