HC Deb 24 July 1956 vol 557 cc18-9W
73. Mr. Redhead

asked the Minister of Labour whether he will now state by what measures he expects to secure a total reduction of about 2,000 of the staff of his Department; and whether he will furnish details of the numbers involved in each of the affected sections and branches of the Department.

Mr. Iain Macleod

A reduction in the staff of my Department is being planned to take place by December, 1957, as a result of the following measures:

  1. (1) The three appointments offices in London, Manchester and Glasgow are to be closed and the services of some of the larger employment exchanges are to be developed to deal 19 with placings and vacancies previously dealt with at the appointments offices. It is estimated that this will result in a net saving of 250 staff.
  2. (2) There will be some reduction in the staff employed on the following services—the Technical and Scientific Register, the Training Within Industry service and the Personnel Management Advisory service with a saving of some 50 staff.
  3. (3) The revocation of the Notification of Vacancies Order is estimated to result in a saving of 150 staff.
  4. (4) Changes are to be made in the organisation and procedures of certain aspects of the Department's work, e.g., deferment and call-up under the National Service Acts, statistics, the issue of permits for the employment of aliens, finance, etc. It is estimated that these items will together result in a staff saving of 230.
  5. (5) A review of the standards of staffing at Headquarters, regional and local offices is being carried out. It is estimated that savings of 100, 150 and 850, respectively, will result.
  6. (6) Certain changes are to be made in the organisation of work at outstations, with an estimated saving of 100.
  7. (7) A review of the existing network of local offices of the Ministry is also being carried out. The resulting staff saving is provisionally estimated at 150.
The estimated total staff saving from the above measures is 2,040.

74. Mr. Redhead

asked the Minister of Labour whether, before giving effect to the staffing economies he has in contemplation in his Department, he will afford an opportunity for consideration of any representations he may receive upon the matter through his National Joint Advisory Committee.

Mr. Iain Macleod

I have already circulated for the information of the National Joint Advisory Council the statement I made on 12th July in reply to the hon. Member for Shoreditch and Finsbury (Mr. Collins). My Council is meeting tomorrow, and I should of course consider any comments it might wish to make.