§ Mr. Cordleasked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will publish a list of all local authorities in England and Wales, giving their staff establishments on 1st June 1975 or the nearest convenient date, and showing additionally the numbers employed by each authority in each of the following areas of responsibility: (i) health, (ii) social services, (iii) education, (iv) planning, (v) refuse disposal and street cleaning and (vi) administration.
§ Mr. OakesThe information the hon. Member seeks is not available in this form. The Government and local authority associations have jointly instituted a system of watching manpower trends in local government as part of the rate support grant settlement for 1975–76. Individual authorities are expected to limit any expansion in present numbers to those needed to meet inescapable commitments.
I have already indicated in reply to the hon. Member for Norfolk, North (Mr. Howell) on 7th May 1975—[Vol. 891, c. 445]—that figures obtained from the survey will be published as soon as possible. The Department's Circular No. 30/75, a copy of which I am sending to the hon. Member, makes it clear, however, that the watch on staff numbers will focus at national level upon changes in the total work force and in the main components of that total.