§ Mr. John Pageasked the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance 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.
§ Mr. WoodThe efficiency and manpower of my Department are continually being examined, with the help of a strong Organisation and Methods Division and central and regional staff survey teams. We receive valuable help from the Treasury's Organisation and Methods Division, including training courses for staff and information and advice on many subjects, notably in connection with the purchase and installation of Automatic Data Processing systems, of which my Department so far has two. We do not normally expect to need the services of outside management consultants.
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§ Mr. John Pageasked the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance 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.
§ Mr. Wood1,236 for internal use, and 1,168 for external use. 76 of these are included in the list referred to.