§ Mr. GILBERTasked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Munitions whether he has been able to continue the policy of reducing the staff of his Department; and whether he can afford the House any idea of the staff which it will be necessary for him to keep at the Ministry as a normal staff?
Mr. HOPEThe policy of reducing the Ministry staff has been continuously and progressively applied, and the number of staff in every Department is kept under constant revision. As stated in a reply given in this House yesterday, the present Headquarter's staff numbers 3,261 as against 4,585 on the 1st July last and 25,144 on the date of the Armistice. In view of the fact that the demobilisation of the staff will be continuedpari passu with the contraction of the work of liquidation and of the disposal of surplus Government property, none of the staff will be retained as a normal staff.