20. Mr. Ron Brownasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was the total number of people employed in his Department at the most recent convenient date and the year previously, respectively.
§ Mr. WhitelawOn 1 July 1980 the number of staff employed in the Home Office was 34,568. The corresponding figure for 1 July 1979 was 33,489.
The increase over the 12 months was 1,079. The main growth was in prison establishments, where staff numbers increased by about 900,650 of whom were prison service grades. There were also increases of 140 in police support services—including forensic science laboratories, telecommunications and the police national computer unit—and about 80 on work relating to immigration control. These are all areas of work to which the Government attach priority.
Mr. BrownIs the Home Secretary aware that I always find his replies interesting, if a bit long-winded? We know about the establishment in the Home Office. We want to know what role the so-called volunteers play in running the country. It has been stated quite categorically by the Government that during this winter of discontent they will use volunteers—an army of blacklegs. I can tell the Home Secretary that this will make confrontation—
§ Mr. SpeakerOrder. The hon. Gentleman should be seeking information, not giving it.
§ Mr. WhitelawI am strongly in favour of volunteers doing work in many different areas of our national life, but they are not, on the whole, employed by the Home Office.
§ Mr. Arthur DavidsonHow many people have access to the new police computer?
§ Mr. WhitelawI cannot say. without notice.