§ 46. Mr. Sackvilleasked the Minister for the Civil Service how many Civil Service posts have been dispersed under the Government's programme for dispersal since 1979.
§ Mr. SackvilleDoes this mean that the number has gone up? Will my right hon. Friend confirm that it remains the Government's policy to disperse as many employees as possible from the London area to areas of high unemployment, such as the north-west?
§ Mr. LuceThe policy that was adopted in 1979 was to disperse 5,900 civil servants to various parts of the 446 country by the mid to late 1980s. In the past few weeks another 500 or so civil servants have been dispersed to the region around Glasgow, principally from the Ministry of Defence, so progress is being made.
§ Mr. MacKenzieHow many of the civil servants so dispersed have been of assistant secretary or undersecretary grade, because these are, after all, the policymakers? How much policy can be made by the people in the areas to which they are dispersed?
§ Mr. LuceWithout some notice I cannot give a detailed answer, but the majority of civil servants are not the policy advisers. Policy advisors remain in London. The vast majority, if not all, are in administrative sectors of one kind or another, and have been dispersed to various parts of the country. It should be stressed that four out of five civil servants are already outside London.
§ Sir Kenneth LewisIs my right hon. Friend aware that it would help to redress the balance between the south and the north, and the south and the midlands, if many of those bodies which receive money and grants from the Government were told that they will continue to receive them only if they move their head offices north instead of using expensive buildings in London, which is often totally unnecessary?
§ Mr. LuceSome regions, such as the north-east, have a high proportion of civil servants compared with the total working population. However, I am sure that they would like to have more civil servants. Several regions, including Scotland and the north-east, do quite well in terms of the number of civil servants there.
§ Dr. M. S. MillerBy how many does that figure of 5,900 fall short of the original Hardman proposals? Will the Minister bear in mind that my constituency of East Kilbride has so far seen only 60 per cent. of the 1,000 dispersed posts promised?
§ Mr. LuceIn 1979, when the Conservative party came to office, the Government took a clear decision that 5,900 was the right number to disperse. It is expensive to disperse civil servants, and a careful analysis needs to be made of the cost benefit of dispersal. But we are on course, and in the past few weeks another 500 civil servants have been dispersed.