Major Lloydasked the Minister of Food the present cost of his Department; the number and cost of those at headquarters; and the number and cost of those employed in regional offices.
§ Sir B. SmithThe number of the head quarters staff of the Ministry of Food at 1st October, 1945, was 6,924, and the cost approximately £2,443,000 per annum. The number of staff employed in the provincial offices of the divisional and local services department of the Ministry at 1st October, 1945, was 28,493, and the cost approximately £7,323,000. In addition, there are 5,145 provincial staff exclusively engaged in trading services whose 579W salaries are borne on the trading accounts of the Ministry. To separate the cost of their salaries from other trading expenses would entail disproportionate expenditure of staff time. (In producing the above figures two part time workers have been reckoned as one fulltime worker.)