HC Deb 30 April 1973 vol 855 cc793-5
22. Mr. Willey

asked the Minister for the Civil Service whether he will make a further statement on the implementation of the Hardman recommendations on the Dispersal of Civil Service Departments.

Mr. Kenneth Baker

The Government are considering Sir Henry Hardman's recommendations, which raise complex issues. In considering them, the Government will be consulting the Staff Side. Their decisions will be announced when the process of consultation is completed.

Mr. Willey

Is the Minister aware that private enterprise in Scotland is making ambitious provision for office accommodation and that we will expect the Government to match this with Civil Service employment?

Mr. Baker

As I said earlier, in reply to the hon. Member for Chester-le-Street (Mr. Radice), there are 32,000 civil servants in the North-East. The North-East, of all the regions, has done very well; it has 6.6 per cent. of the total Civil Service, which is higher than the proportion that its population bears to the total population of the country.

Mr. Scott-Hopkins

When dispersing the Civil Service following the Hardman Report, will my hon. Friend bear in mind that not only development areas need a certain amount of Civil Service office facilities? Areas like Derbyshire, which are white areas where unemployment generally is low but unemployment amongst white collar workers is fairly high, have equally urgent requirements for this type of employment.

Mr. Baker

Sir Henry Hardman has been looking not only at the more remote regions but at the question of dispersal of Civil Service work from London to all the areas outside the South-East.

Mr. Grimond

Is the Minister aware that there is ample scope for moving out of London a whole Department, and not only part of it, and that that applies particularly to heads of Departments and in relation to oil?

Secondly, what reply has the Minister given to the Lord Provost of Glasgow, who has been making strenuous efforts to attract more civil servants to Scotland?

Mr. Baker

When the Hardman Report is published—I now confirm that it is to be published—the right hon. Gentleman will find that the proposal for removing a complete Department is considered. He will know that I saw the Lord Provost of Glasgow about six weeks ago. I assure the right hon. Gentleman that the claims of west central Scotland and Glasgow have been given equal treatment with the claims of cither regions.