HC Deb 15 October 1975 vol 897 cc1358-9
24. Mr. Arthur Jones

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he is satisfied with procedures for controlling staff numbers in local government.

Mr. Oakes

Each local authority is responsible for the numbers of staff it employs to carry out its statutory functions. But, as part of the measures needed to limit public expenditure, local government has established new machinery for collecting quarterly returns of staff numbers. These figures are being closely scrutinised by central and local government, acting jointly and against the background of national economic policies.

Mr. Jones

Is the Minister referring to the Joint Staff Watch Survey, which shows an increase of 10,785 full-time and more than 15,000 part-time employees over the revised figures for March? In the context of local government expenditure, will the Government be prepared to support local authorities who consider it necessary to secure staff reductions?

Mr. Oakes

Two quarter's figures have been collected and published. The comparison shows an increase of under 1 per cent., counting full-and part-time equivalents together. However, two quarters' figures are not a sufficient guide to current trends. The association is, however, having a word with the local authorities about this.

Mr. George Cunningham

Does my hon. Friend accept that local authority salaries now constitute a significant part of public expenditure? In most years there is no Central Government control over the number of staffs and wage levels, but that is punctuated by a year—like the present one—of ferocious restraints. Would it not be better to devise a system in which Central Government had a greater measure of influence on local authority numbers?

Mr. Oakes

It may be that the Government have no formal powers over individual authorities about the employment of staff—nor should they have, in respect of individual staffs. On wage levels, local authorities are subject to the Counter-inflation policy and the £6 a week limit, with severe repercussions for authorities which go against that policy.

Mr. Speed

Much has been made of the need for local authorities to hold down staff and expenditure levels, but when will there be comparable manpower savings and programme savings by the Department?

Mr. Oakes

We watch our staff in the Department equally well.

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