§ 67. Mr. Rentonasked the Under secretary of State for Commonwealth Relations what steps he took in 1952, and what steps he proposes to take in 1953, to reduce the cost of carrying out the duties of his Department.
§ Mr. J. FosterIn 1952 considerable reductions were made in the number of staff employed by the Department. All other forms of expenditure have been subjected to rigorous examination in the preparation of the annual estimates, and it is particularly to be noted that the provision made for communications, 25W which is a substantial item in the expenditure of an oversea Department such as the Commonwealth Relations Office, has been reduced from £257,000 for 1951–52 to £219,000 for the coming year. Further steps to secure economy will be taken in 1953 and all items of expenditure will continue to be kept under close and continuous scrutiny.