§ Q12. Mr. Arthur Lewisasked the Prime Minister what action he has taken, or intends to take, to reduce the number of Ministers and their Departments, and civil servants, and to reduce costs of Government administration; and what success has been achieved in this field during the past two years.
§ The Prime MinisterAs to the first part of my hon. Friend's Question, I would refer him to the amalgamation of the Colonial and Commonwealth Relations Offices; National Assistance Board and Ministry of Pensions and National Insurance; Ministries of Land and Housing and Local Government; of Aviation and Technology; and to the closer integration of the Ministry of Defence. As to the latter parts, he will know that economy in administration must be measured in relation to the job which Parliament has decided must be done. Continuous efforts are of course made to improve efficiency by applying a full range of modern management techniques.