Statisticians (Hansard, 19 June 1995)

§ 29. Mr. John Marshall
To ask the Chairman of the Public Accounts Commission what is the current number of statisticians employed by the National Audit Office. [27643]

§ Sir Peter Hordern
The National Audit Office employs about 550 staff who either have accountancy qualifications or are training for them. Of those staff, 25 have degrees in statistics or mathematics. There are eight full-time professional statisticians or operational researchers. In addition, when specialist statistical advice is needed, the NAO uses external experts.

§ Mr. Marshall
I thank my right hon. Friend for that answer. He is no doubt well aware of the difficulties that the NAO has experienced when dealing with the World Health Organisation. Would he like to comment on them and to offer any advice to the Government?

§ Sir Peter Hordern
The House may be aware that the Comptroller and Auditor General thought it right not to carry on with his work as auditor of the World Health Organisation because it involved a most unsatisfactory process. The Comptroller and Auditor General has issued a statement, which I expect Members will have seen. The House and all subscribing countries owe a vote of thanks to the Comptroller and Auditor General for his hard work and assiduousness on behalf of all subscribing nations to the WHO.

§ Mr. Campbell-Savours
Is the best way to deal with the problem simply to pull out? I have every respect for the Comptroller and Auditor General, but would it not be wiser to stay in, argue the issue publicly and secure reforms? At the moment, we have no guarantee that changes will be made to the process. May I suggest to the right hon. Gentleman that in his reply to me he freezes the political content that he used in answer to the question asked by my hon. Friend the Member for Leyton (Mr. Cohen), as he holds a non-political office?

§ Sir Peter Hordern
I apologise most sincerely to the hon. Gentleman for offending his political sensibilities in any way. I understood that there was a hint of political content in the hon. Member for Leyton's question, and I hope that the hon. Member for Leyton did not mind the way in which I answered.
In answer to the hon. Gentleman's question, I would say that—so far as I know—this country is still a subscribing member of the World Health Organisation.