§ 36. Mr. David Howellasked the Minister for the Civil Service how many service-wide classes and how many Departmental classes of the Civil Service will, on present plans, have been abolished by 1st January, 1971.
§ The Minister without Portfolio and Deputy Leader of the House of Commons (Mr. Peter Shore)Among other developments outlined in the recent National Whitley Council Report, negotiations with the staff interests have begun over the merger of the general service Administrative, Executive and Clerical classes and of the general service Scientific classes. It is honed to conclude these negotiations successfully in time 626 for the new structures, which will initially cover approximately 225,000 staff, to take effect from 1st January 1971.
§ Mr. HowellWhile recognising the considerable difficulties in abolishing the distinction between many hundreds of departmental classes, some of which are of great antiquity, may I ask whether the right hon. Gentleman would accept that this is a very important, indeed central, part of the Fulton Committee's Report on the Civil Service? Would he see that there is no side-tracking into less important issues?
§ Mr. ShoreYes, Sir. I certainly agree with the hon. Gentleman that this is very important and a central recommendation of the Fulton Committee. The figures I have quoted show that progress is being made over a very wide area towards the creation of a unified structure. The special problems of the Departmental classes will be dealt with as quickly as possible, either subsequent to or as part of the general review that I have described.
§ Mr. SheldonIs my right hon. Friend aware that the success of the open structure will depend on the way in which the specialist classes are integrated into it and that it will not be enough to incorporate only the Administrative, Executive and Clerical grades?
§ Mr. ShoreMy hon. Friend has very close knowledge of this. We are fully alive to this problem and are proceeding as quickly as we can.