§ 8. Mr. Steenasked the Secretary of State for the Environment what information he has as to the percentage changes in staffing of city councils in principal conurbations in the last 12 months; and if he will make a statement.
§ 13. Mr. Iain Millsasked the Secretary of State for the Environment what is the total number of local authority staff at the latest available date compared with May 1979.
§ Mr. HeseltineInformation on the percentage change in staffing in individual local authorities in England during the 12 months to December 1981 is included in the most recent joint manpower watch press release, copies of which are available in the Library. Overall, the metropolitan distric councils reduced their staffing by about 2 per cent. in the year. This remains an inadequate rate of reduction if the Government's expenditure targets are to be met. The total number of local authority staff in England at December 1981 was 1,890,770 full-time equivalents. Taking account of seasonal factors this represents a decrease of 80,145 or 4.1 per cent. since June 1979.
§ Mr. SteenDoes my right hon. Friend realise that the Liverpool city council employs 59.8 staff per thousand head of the population, which is a far greater number than any other district council on Merseyside? Wirral, for example, employs 43.7 per thousand and Sefton only 39.8. Does he agree that until Liverpool city council reduces its staff and cuts commercial and domestic rates, there cannot be an economic upturn for the area?
§ Mr. McNamaraWhat is the right hon. Gentleman going to do about Toxteth?
§ Mr. HeseltineI sympathise with my hon. Friend's suggestion that high staffing levels and consequently high rate bills seriously affect the commercial viability and attractiveness of an area. Liverpool's staff ratio per thousand head of population is high. Significantly, it is exceeded only by Manchester.
§ Mr. Iain MillsDoes my right hon. Friend recognise that there will be burning resentment from many people in the private sector at his answer, which shows that councils have not reduced staff in line with what has had to happen in business and commerce? Will he take action to reduce councils' overall costs so that they reduce their staff, particularly in my constituency in the West Midlands county area?
§ Mr. HeseltineI have repeatedly asked local authorities to make reductions. There has been a wide spread of performance. By and large, Conservative authorities have made substantial attempts to meet our targets and Labour authorities have not. Local electors have the ability to make judgments on that performance.
§ Mr. NewensWhat are the advantages of reducing staff numbers if those people merely join the unemployed queues and have to be supported from public funds for doing nothing? Is the right hon. Gentleman aware that if he is to reduce the number of staff, others in the Government must take steps to reflate the economy to give those people jobs elsewhere? Further, does he recognise that many of the people being dismissed are performing a vital public service which will be gravely missed?
§ Mr. HeseltineThere is little compulsory redundancy in local government to secure the staff cuts. By and large, it is a question of not replacing those who resign of their own free will. The public would find it difficult to distinguish between the quality of service of councils that have made the cuts and of those that have not.