§ 28. Mr. Goodhartasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what reduction he in tends to make in the number of civil servants as a result of proposed cuts in Government expenditure following devaluation.
§ 51. Mr. Ridsdaleasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what steps he is now taking to curb the growth in numbers of civil servants.
§ Mr. Roy JenkinsIt is the intention, as my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister stated on 16th January, to plan the staffing of Departments in such a way that over the year 1968–69 there will be no further net increase in the number of civil servants as a whole.—[Vol. 756, c. 1591.]
§ Mr. GoodhartAs the Chancellor himself presides over one of the Departments which has grown most rapidly in the past three years, will he give the House a firm assurance that the staff of the Inland Revenue will not increase this year?
§ Mr. JenkinsI am certainly applying this stringency to Departments, including those within my immediate purview, but I could not give a particular assurance at this stage about any particular Department.
§ Mr. RidsdaleWhat proportion of the increase of 57,000 civil servants since 1964 is permanent and what proportion is temporary? How many of the 200,000 extra local government employees are permanent and how many are temporary?
§ Mr. JenkinsI could not say that without notice.
§ Mr. Hugh JenkinsWill not the introduction of prescription charges involve additional civil servants? Does he not want to abandon this absurd project?
§ Mr. Roy JenkinsNo. I think that my hon. Friend underlines the general plea that policy changes, many of them advocated from both sides of the House——
§ Mr. ManuelNot this one, though.
§ Mr. JenkinsNot exactly all of them—are much easier to advocate than it is to realise what it means in terms of civil servants.
§ Sir J. EdenSurely the right hon. Gentleman can do better than that? Why cannot he make a start with the occupants of No. 10? Is it not clear that they are all redundant?
§ Mr. RidsdaleOn a point of order, Mr. Speaker. In view of the unsatisfactory nature of the reply, I give notice that I shall raise this matter on the Adjournment.