HC Deb 25 February 1981 vol 999 cc876-7
54. Mr. Marlow

asked the Minister for the Civil Service if he will carry out a new investigation of the jobs needing to be undertaken by the Civil Service based on an assumption that no organisation currently exists, and then staff the Civil Service accordingly.

The Minister of State, Civil Service Department (Mr. Barney Hayhoe)

No, Sir, but all Ministers in charge of Departments have been, and are, reviewing their functions and tasks together with the appropriate organisation and staffing required. These reviews contribute to the planned reduction of the Civil Service to 630,000 by April 1984. The Government intend to publish a White Paper describing the work that is being done.

Mr. Marlow

As this review concerns what many people would consider to be the most overpaid, over-protected and under-productive group of workers in this country, paid for out of the pockets of industrial workers hit by recession, will my hon. Friend take advantage of any contemplated industrial action to prove that in certain departments a skeleton staff can do just as efficient a job as the current staff?

Mr. Hayhoe

I do not accept my hon. Friend's description of the Civil Service. Discussions are in progress with the Civil Service unions about this year's pay settlement and future arrangements for determining the pay of non-industrial civil servants. It is deplorable that there should be talk of industrial action which would disrupt important public services when the Government have indicated their positive response, their intentions for future arrangements for settling pay, a subject to which I know civil servants attach considerable importance. There has been a responsible approach and I do not think that there is any justification for industrial action.

Mr. Alan Williams

Will the Minister bear in mind that because of the staff cuts that have already been made—

Mr. Nicholas Winterton

Not enough.

Mr. Williams

The hon. Member for Macclesfield (Mr. Winterton) says "Not enough". Will the Minister bear in mind that, as a result of the cuts needy families—on the admission of the Under-Secretary of State for Health and Social Security—are not receiving the family income supplement to which they are entitled, and that at a time of peak and rising unemployment the Manpower Services Commission is considering closing down jobs centres or cutting back on the manning of those centres? Is it not time for the Government to admit what we all know in the House—namely, that the Government's manpower cuts are being achieved only at the cost of seriously damaging the quality of essential services?

Mr. Hayhoe

I repudiate the charge that essential services are being damaged. It is right that the Government should seek to make the Civil Service more efficient and reduce some of the tasks that our predecessors laid upon it. We have succeeded in reducing the numbers by a net 37,000. That is a good achievement and we have further progress to make in the coming years.

Mr. Stokes

Is my hon. Friend aware of the recent successful exercise to cut out a number of the more senior posts in the Civil Service? Could not a similar exercise be conducted lower down the line to cover the whole generality of the staff?

Mr. Hayhoe

Departments are constantly considering the appropriate staffing and organisation to carry out their functions. They are reviewing the functions laid upon them by Parliament and in other ways to ensure that necessary tasks are being carried out.