HC Deb 11 March 1955 vol 538 cc83-4W
Mr. Russell asked

the Chancellor of the Exchequer the total reduction in the civil staffs of Government Departments which took place between 1st October, 1951, and 1st January, 1955: what percentage this is of the number employed at the earlier date; and to give an estimate of the saving in expenditure brought about by this reduction.

Mr. H. Brooke

In this period the number of non-industrial civil servants was reduced by 52,067, a reduction of 7.6 per cent. I estimate that if this reduction had not been made the current annual cost of non-industrial Civil Service wages and salaries would be between £20 million and £25 million greater than it is.