HC Deb 13 June 1967 vol 748 cc297-9
12. Mr. Cant

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is being done to obtain qualified cost accountants for the Civil Service.

Mr. Diamond

Staff in several Departments are studying for the qualifications

smaller percentage earlier, as my hon. Friend will see from the figures.

Mr. G. Campbell

Will the right hon. Gentleman include in the table the total number of applicants from both groups so that the House may have a comprehensive picture of the situation?

Mr. Diamond

I cannot alter the table, which does not include the number of applicants, but I can tell the hon. Gentleman and my hon. Friend that we are most anxious that more applicants should come from universities other than Oxford and Cambridge. The difficulty in the main is the lack of applicants.

Following is the table:

of the Institute of Cost and Works Accountants and the Ministry of Technology are recruiting experienced cost and works accountants for work on the pricing of aerospace contracts.

Mr. Cant

Is my right hon. Friend aware that in a recent article The Times suggested that the Civil Service is recruiting the wrong type of cost accountant?

Mr. Diamond

Yes. My attention was drawn to that article. It is quite wrong. There are some jobs, of course, which can only be done by chartered accountants or by certified accountants. There are other jobs which are more appropriate for accountants who are more experienced in particular cost and works spheres. We are doing a great deal to assist with sandwich courses, by way of aid in support of those courses, to encourage people to train in this sphere of activity.