§ 11. Mr. Farrasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer by how many the number of non-industrial civil servants increased in each of the last three years, to 1st October in each case.
§ 22. Mr. Costainasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what was the total establishment of senior and other grades in the Civil Service; and what vacancies existed, in 1964, 1965, 1966 and the first six months of 1967.
§ Mr. DiamondSince 1st October, 1964, when the total number of non-industrial civil servants was 415,000, the 1116 annual increases have been 8,000, 17,000 and 19,000: the last figure is for the nine months ended 1st July, 1967.
The number of vacancies varies considerably by area and by class, but the overall shortage over the last two years is about 3 per cent.
§ Mr. FarrDoes the right hon. Gentleman realise that everyone is working about one day per month now simply to employ this non-productive body of civil servants? If he realises that what will he do about it?
§ Mr. DiamondNo, Sir, I have not realised that interesting statistical figure. What I have realised was that this House expected a number of services to be carried out and that this Government was endeavouring to carry them out.
§ Mr. CostainDoes the Minister realise that this increase is phenomenal? Does he not realise that the Selective Employment Tax was introduced to stop these sorts of services and can he explain why it has not operated in this case?
§ Mr. DiamondThe explanation is that there have been certain services which this House has asked to be carried out. There are, particularly, two Ministries affected, the Ministry of Social Security and the Ministry of Labour. Between them some 15,000 out of the figures I have given are dealing with the problems of the earnings related insurance benefits scheme, the effect of the earnings related benefit scheme on labour and the redundancy payments scheme. All these schemes were passed by this House and regarded as relevant to the present situation.