§ Mr. Bill MichieTo ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many civil servants are currently employed(a) full time and (b) part time by his Department on civil defence; what the total costs of employing staff on civil defence duties were in 1989–90; what the total costs of employing staff on civil defence duties are expected to be in 1990–91; and whether he has any plans for these staff to be transferred to work on other duties.
§ Sir Wyn RobertsThe Department has no full-time or part-time staff engaged exclusively on civil defence, but such work is estimated to account for the equivalent of six full-time posts across the Department as a whole. The total cost was £156,000 in 1989–90 and is estimated to be £161,000 in 1990–91.
My right hon. and learned Friend the Home Secretary announced on 16 October 1990 that he had initiated a review of the options for the future of civil defence arrangements in the light of east-west relations. Future levels of expenditure on civil defence will depend on the outcome of that review.