§ Mr. Michael Forsythasked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will estimate the number of people employed by the health and social services boards who would, elsewhere in the United Kingdom, have been employed in local government, in actual numbers and in full-time equivalents; and if he will express both figures as a percentage of the total population.
§ Mr. Chris PattenHealth and personal social services are fully integrated in Northern Ireland and it is not possible to separate out all categories of staff who would elsewhere in the United Kingdom have been employed in local government as some are engaged in work which spans both health and personal social services. However it is possible to identify separately the number of social services staff employed by the health and social services boards. The information as at 31 December 1983 was as follows:
Number Percentage of population Actual 18,836 1.21 Full-time equivalent 7,930 0.50