§ 2.36 p.m.
§ LORD HUGHESMy Lords, I beg leave to ask the Question which stands in my name on the Order Paper.
§ [The Question was as follows:
§ To ask Her Majesty's Government how many people are employed at the London headquarters of the Ministries of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, Education, Health, Housing and Local Government, Labour, Power, Public Building and Works, and Transport, giving separate figures for men and women in each case.]
§ THE MINISTER OF STATE FOR FOREIGN AFFAIRS (THE EARL OF DUNDEE)My Lords, the eight Departments together employ some 28,000 headquarters staff in the London area, including 7,700 women. I will circulate the detailed figures in the OFFICIAL REPORT.
§ Following are the figures referred to:
| HEADQUARTERS STAFF EMPLOYED IN THE LONDON AREA (a) | ||
| — | Men | Women |
| Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food | 1,682 | 1,238 |
| Ministry of Education | 1,655 | 902 |
| Ministry of Health | 1,234 | 967 |
| Ministry of Housing and Local Government | 1,490 | 782 |
| Ministry of Labour | 1,058 | 1,058 |
| Ministry of Power | 544 | 314 |
| Ministry of Public Building and Works | 11,043 (b) | 1,566 (c) |
| Ministry of Transport | 1,527 | 839 |
| TOTALS | 20,233 | 7,666 |
§ Footnotes
§ (a) Within 16 miles of Charing Cross.
§ (b) Includes 6,826 industrial civil servants.
§ (c) Includes 292 industrial civil servants.
402§ LORD HUGHESMy Lords, I thank the noble Earl for the Answer he has given, the form of which is perfectly satisfactory to me. I am following up in this Question the suggestion made in the debate on February 17 that the Government might give consideration to locating certain Ministries outside London, from the point of view both of easing the shortage of office accommodation here and of helping employment in other areas. Since placing this Question I have, however, learnt from the proceedings in another place that Her Majesty's Government have asked Sir Gilbert Fleming to make a comprehensive review of such Ministries that might be taken outside London. In view of that, may I ask Her Majesty's Government whether they have asked Sir Gilbert to report as a matter of urgency; and in acting on the report, if it is favourable, will they give consideration to the location of such Ministries (a) in places where there is heavy unemployment, and (b) in areas which have been referred to in the Toot-hill Report as "growth points"?
§ THE EARL OF DUNDEEI am grateful to the noble Lord for his suggestions. It is our policy to disperse Government work from London to the fullest extent that can be done without loss of efficiency; and, wherever possible, we certainly aim at sending it to areas needing additional employment. I see from the noble Lord's supplementary that he has already learnt about the Government's request to Sir Gilbert Fleming to report on this matter. We hope that his advice will soon be received, and we hope that the Government will be able to announce their decisions on his recommendations before the Summer Recess.
§ LORD HUGHESI thank the noble Earl.
LORD HAWKEMy Lords, will my noble friend suggest to the National Coal Board that a move somewhat nearer the coal mines would be very acceptable to the general public?
§ THE EARL OF DUNDEEIf my noble friend likes, I will certainly make that suggestion to anybody to whom he asks me to suggest it.