§ Lord Eamesasked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether the proposed reduction in the numerical strength of the Civil Service will include those employed in Northern Ireland; if so, to what extent; and in which departments. [HL2144]
§ Baroness AmosThe recent announcements on reductions in Civil Service numbers arise from the Government's efficiency review in Whitehall and so do not directly affect Northern Ireland. However, the Government are pursuing a similar focus on delivering greater efficiency in the delivery of public services, with the aim of releasing resources for reallocation to frontline services. This will be a core element of the Northern Ireland priorities and budget process, which will run throughout the rest of 2004.