§ Mr. Leadbitterasked the Minister for the Civil Service how many civil servants are employed in the Northern Region; how the numbers compare with other regions; and if he will make a statement on future employment policy of civil servants in the development areas.
§ Mr. Kenneth BakerAt 1st January, 1972, 31,500 non-industrial civil servants, or 6.2 per cent. of the total, were employed in the Northern Region. The figures for the other regions are as follows:
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Nonindustrial Civil Servants at 1st January, 1972, by Region: Thousands per cent. London 150.6 29.8 Remainder of SE 81.5 16.2 East Midlands 17.2 3.4 West Midlands 23.5 4.7 Northern 31.5 6.2 Yorks and Humberside 24.0 4.8 East Anglia 10.4 2.1 South Western 41.6 8.2 Wales 19.9 3.9 North Western 44.8 8.9 Scotland 41.9 8.3 Elsewhere 17.5 3.5 On the second part of the Question, I assume the hon. Member is referring to dispersal and new office policies. 16,640 Civil Service jobs will be established in the assisted areas over the next few years as a result of these policies. As the hon. Member knows, we are reviewing the scope for the further dispersal of work from London. Locations in development areas, along with other places will be considered during the review.