§ Mr. Colegateasked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury whether, in view both of the changed circumstances of munitions production and of other factors, he has found it possible to start reducing the numbers of temporary civil servants engaged in Government Departments.
§ Mr. AsshetonThe number of temporary civil servants employed in some Government Departments has diminished and is diminishing. But the number employed in others is unavoidably increasing. Thus in the quarter ended 1st July, 1944, there was a fairly heavy increase in the Ministry of Food, due to staff taken on temporarily in connection with exchange of ration books; and there were also increases in the Admiralty, and in the Ministries of Aircraft Production, Labour, War Transport, Pensions, Works and some other Departments.
The total figure for whole-time non-industrial staffs employed by Government Departments on 1st July, 1944, was 677,202, as compared with 692,578 who were in post a year previously. Part-time employees have increased during the year from 76,093 to 93,851.