HC Deb 20 June 1972 vol 839 cc228-31
Q1. Mr. Dalyell

asked the Prime Minister if he will show the distribution of transfers of central staff of the Civil Service to development areas outside London over the last two years.

The Prime Minister (Mr. Edward Heath)

Between April, 1970, and April, 1972, some 4,600 jobs were established in assisted areas. I will, with permission, publish details of the distribution in the OFFICIAL REPORT.

Mr. Dalyell

Since, doubtless justifiably, the Government are expanding the Civil Service at a faster rate than ever my right hon. Friends did, should not some of this expansion be directed towards the regions? Is the Prime Minister satisfied that enough of the expansion of the Civil Service is going to the regions?

The Prime Minister

On the first part of the question, the hon. Gentleman should not take for granted everything which is said in a Monday Club letter and which is not borne out by the figures given to the House. On the question of dispersal, at the moment the arrangements provide for a further 8,300 jobs to be dispersed from London, as well as for 10,680 jobs to be established in new offices outside London. I think the hon. Gentleman will find that the dispersal is going on at a reasonable rate. When he sees the breakdown of the information, he will see that out of the 4,597 jobs whose distribution I give just on 2,000 have gone to Scotland.

Mr. Kilfedder

There is a great need for jobs in Northern Ireland and a need to boost the morale of the Ulster people. There has been no transfer of civil servants to Northern Ireland. Will my right hon. Friend transfer one service to Northern Ireland to help with the solution of our problems?

The Prime Minister

The reason for that in the past was plain: it was the separate Administration in Northern Ireland. In exactly the same way, dispersal from Whitehall tends to deal with Scotland, Wales and the regions of England and not Northern Ireland. The study of further dispersal is concerned with policy work. This is limited to 90,000 jobs in London. These are those which are being examined at present. It would obviously be difficult to disperse them into Northern Ireland—or into Belfast in particular—because, from the point of view of the organisation of government here, it is necessary for them to be within reasonable distance if it is possible to disperse them.

Mr. Simon Mahon

Is the right hon. Gentleman aware of the obvious claims of Merseyside? Is he further aware that Merseyside's position is not being helped by a strike by 17 men which has been going on in my constituency for 12 months? This strike is holding up the completion of a Government office for the Inland Revenue which will employ 3,500 people. Will the right hon. Gentleman do all he possibly can with his officials and members of the Cabinet to stop this disastrous and wasteful strike in my constituency?

The Prime Minister

I am sure my right hon. Friend will do everything possible. But I am sure also that the hon. Gentleman has himself been doing everything possible, because he has always tried to bring about a more peaceful state of industrial relations. From the breakdown I have given, the hon. Gentleman will find that some 760 of the total of around 4,600 jobs have gone to Merseyside.

Dame Irene Ward

I accept what my right hon. Friend is trying to do in dispersal, but will he remember that the regions are anxiously awaiting actual action? Is he aware that following the request from the Northern Region for the transfer of the new Gas Council set-up, the reply I received is not very satisfactory? Is he aware that we need a few more policy-making decisions to bring people to our part of the world? Some of them have been taken away from the region, and this is very unsatisfactory. My right hon. Friend has a good idea, but will he get on with it a little more quickly?

The Prime Minister

I must tell my hon. Friend that the action has been taken and is being continued. The figures I have given are 4,600 jobs in the last two years, of which around 600 went to the Northern Region. There are 8,300 jobs in process of being dispersed from London. The examination which will be completed by the end of this year will deal with 90,000 jobs at present in London.

Mr. Pentland

In addition to that, the Prime Minister will recall that the Government's decision not to go ahead with the Inland Revenue computer centre at Washington, in my constituency, meant a loss of 3,000 prospective Civil Service jobs for the North-East Region. As there is now a desperate need for this type of job opportunity, will the Prime Minister say what immediate action the Government propose to take to counter-balance the loss of those 3,000 jobs?

The Prime Minister

We recognise the difficulties that were produced by the decision not to go ahead with the computer center at Washington. In view, however, of the fact that we were working on the question of the tax credit system which my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer announced in his Budget and about which he is in the process of preparing a Green Paper, we thought it right to take that decision. Regarding value added tax, the Chancellor has already announced that, apart from the headquarters at Southend, the civil servants engaged will be spread throughout the regions. We hope that this will do something to counter the particular problem which has arisen. For the rest, it will depend on the recommendations of the committee which is now examining the jobs of 90,000 civil servants who are employed in London on policy work.

The following is the information:

Area Number of Jobs
Scottish Special Development Area 1,111
Welsh Special Development Area 803
Northern Special Development Area 322
Northern Development Area 291
Merseyside Development Area 760
Edinburgh Intermediate Area 830
South East Wales Intermediate Area 429
South West Devon Intermediate Area 51
Total 4,597