HC Deb 02 August 1966 vol 733 cc72-3W
Sir Richard Glyn

asked the Secretary of State for Commonwealth Relations what was the total number of civil servants employed by his Department full time and part time, respectively, at the last convenient date; and what increases or decreases these figures represent on the comparable figures for October, 1964 and August, 1965.

Mr. Bottomley

On 1st July, 1966, there were 401 Civil Servants employed full-time and 25 employed part-time in the Commonwealth Relations Office. The formation on 1st January, 1965, of a joint Administration Office for the Foreign Office and the Commonwealth Relations Office makes any direct comparison with the figure for October 1964 impossible; but the total number of staff employed by the Diplomatic Service as a whole in London is now 72 fewer than it was in October 1964. Since August, 1965 there has been a reduction of 16 in the number of staff employed in the Commonwealth Relations Office itself.