§ Mr. Menzies CampbellTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence what action is being taken to eradicate shortages of staff in the procurement executive of his Department; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. SainsburyManagement action is already in hand to alleviate the problems identified in the recently published House of Commons Defence Committee report. These measures include the application of new and more flexible long term Civil Service pay agreements, the proposed relocation of a substantial part of the procurement executive to parts of the country where it is easier to recruit and retain staff, and the next steps initiative. The shortages tend to be concentrated in disciplines such as electronics and information technology, and in certain geographical areas especially London and the south-east. To a large extent they are a reflection of shortages from which other major employers suffer in these areas.