HL Deb 11 March 1981 vol 418 c278

2.40 p.m.

Lord Renton

My 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 non-industrial civil servants were employed by the Ministry of Defence at the latest date for which figures are available; how many uniformed personnel were serving in the regular Royal Navy, Army and Royal Air Force on that date, and whether any further economies required will be achieved by reducing the number of those civil servants rather than by impairing the preparedness of the armed forces.

Viscount Long

My Lords, on 1st January 1981, the Ministry of Defence employed 125,641 non-industrial staff, compared with 343,200 personnel in the armed forces, made up of about 73,900 in the Royal Navy, 176,300 in the Army and 93,000 in the Royal Air Force. Reductions in the number of civilian staff are being sought as part of the Government's drive to reduce the size of the Civil Service. Between 1st April 1979 and 1st January 1981, the total has already been reduced by 17,200. The total number of Service personnel increased by 19,900 in the same period.

Lord Renton

My Lords, while thanking my noble friend for that reply and expressing great admiration for those civil servants who remain on duty when required, may I ask him whether it is necessary that the defence of our country should depend upon so many other civil servants, covered by his reply, who merely please themselves as to whether or not to remain on duty?

Viscount Long

My Lords, I join with my noble friend in the tribute that he has paid to the civil servants. Eighty per cent. of those who work for the Ministry of Defence in fact reported for duty, and I pay that tribute as well as my noble friend and others of your Lordships. I have no doubt that, if national security were at stake, all our staff—and I repeat, all our staff—would respond.