§ Mr. Richard Pageasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what was the number of staff in post in central Government Departments on 1 April.
§ Mr. HayhoeAt 1 April 1983 there were 648,700 staff-in-post — 518,300 non-industrial and 130,400 industrial; that is a reduction of 3,800 since 1 January 1983. The number of civil servants has fallen by 83,600, of 11.4 per cent., since the Government came to office. This means that we now have the smallest Civil Service for 20 years.