HC Deb 26 May 1993 vol 225 c647W
Mr. Llwyd

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what is the total number employed in local authorities at the present time, and the estimated figure of employment for the proposed unitary authorities.

Mr. David Hunt

The latest available estimate of the total number employed in local authorities in Wales is 122,513 full-time equivalents. This is a provisional figure, as at December 1992, provided by the Local Government Management Board.

It will be for unitary authorities to decide their own management structures and staffing levels. The study of transitional costs by Touche Ross suggested that, for 23 authorities, the change in staff numbers might range from a net decrease of 490 to a net increase of 623.