§ Mr. John Pageasked the Minister of Housing and Local Government and Minister for Welsh Affairs how many different types of printed forms are used in his department for internal and external use, respectively; and whether all these forms are included in the List of Standard Books, Forms, etc., for use in the Public Service published by Her Majesty's Stationery Office.
§ Sir K. JosephMy Department uses 140 printed forms internally and 104 externally and of these 87 and 3 respectively are included in the Stationery Office publication referred to in the Question.
§ Mr. John Pageasked the Minister of Housing and Local Government and Minister for Welsh Affairs what steps he has taken to improve efficiency and reduce manpower by reorganising his Department with the help of the Treasury Organisation and Methods Section; what use his Department makes of outside management consultants; and what such action he is proposing in the near future.
§ Sir K. JosephMy Department has officers engaged full time on organisation, methods and staff inspections, with the constant object of improving efficiency and saving manpower. The136W advice of the Treasury Organisation and Methods section is frequently taken and my officers attend training courses there. Every year some assignments are undertaken jointly with the Treasury, recent examples being a review of the district audit service and an investigation of the quantity surveyors' branch. A joint review is currently being held of the Department's administrative structure; and Treasury officers will soon be asked to assist in considering the use of computers to handle survey material required for the implementation of the Buchanan Report. My Department does not make use of outside management consultants.