HC Deb 03 November 1993 vol 231 cc290-1W
Mr. John Marshall

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what was the ratio of civil servants in his Department to service men and women(a) five years ago and (b) at the latest date for which the information is available.

Mr. Hanley

As at 1 April 1988 there were 317,000 United Kingdom regular forces and 143,000 full-time equivalent United Kingdom-based MOD civil servants of which 33,600 were in the administration group, the remainder being specialist non-industrial staff and industrial staff. At 1 September 1993 the total were 267,200 United Kingdom regular forces and 128,000 full-time equivalent United Kingdom-based MOD civil servants of whom 33,000 were in the administration group.

These give ratios of administration group MOD United Kingdom-based civil servants to United Kingdom regular forces of 1:9.43 at 1 April 1988 and 1:8.1 at 1 September 1993.