HC Deb 01 December 1977 vol 940 cc288-9W
Mr. Arthur Lewis

asked the Minister for the Civil Service whether he will give as at 1st November 1974 the total number of all civil servants, including industrial and others then classified as Government employees and the annual or weekly cost of same and similar details as at 1st November 1977, taking account of where reductions have been made due to reemployment or redesignation, such as in the case of the Post Office and like services.

Mr. Charles R. Morris

Information on Civil Service numbers as at 1st January, 1st April, 1st July and 1st October each year is published in the Monthly Digest of Statistics, copies of which are available in the Library. The number of staff in post on 1st October 1974 and on 1st October 1977 was 687,200 and 741,300 respectively. The 1977 figure includes some 24,300 staff of the Manpower Services Commission and its Agencies whose staff rejoined the Civil Service from 1st January 1976 under the provisions of the Employment Protection Act 1976.

The total provision for Civil Service wages and salaries, including employer's national insurance contributions and overtime, in the Supply Estimates for 1974–75 was £1,840 million. The provision in the main Estimates for 1977–78 is £2,822 million.

Mr. Geoffrey Finsberg

asked the Minister for the Civil Service what was the total number of industrial and non-industrial civil servants on 1st July 1970, 1st March 1974 and 1st July 1977; and what is the figure to the latest convenient date.

Mr. Charles R. Morris

The total number of industrial and non-industrial staff in post on 1st July 1970, 1st March 1974, 1st July 1977 and 1st October 1977, the latest convenient date, is given below:

Date Industrial Non-Industrial Total
1st July 1970 205,800 496,000 701,800
1st March 1974 182,400 514,700 697,100
1st July 1977 172,300 567,400 739,700
1st October 1977 172,500 668,000 741,300

There were a number of machinery of government changes over this period which affect the numbers quoted. Between July 1970 and March 1974 some 12,700 staff of trustee museums and galleries, the Civil Aviation Authority, the British Library and other smaller groups were transferred out of the Civil Service. In the same period 7,400 staff from local authorities and the Atomic Weapons Research Establishment were transferred into the Civil Service. Staff numbers of the Agencies of the Manpower Services Commission where appropriate appear in both the 1974 and 1977 figures.

Information on Civil Service staff numbers at each quarter is published in the Monthly Digest of Statistics which is available in the Library of the House.