§ Mr. Onslowasked the Minister of Housing and Local Government what increase or decrease there has been since October 1964 in the staffs of local authorities in England and Wales: what is the annual financial outlay involved; and what proportion of the increase or decrease is attributable to legislation passed since October 1964.
§ Mr. MacCollMy right hon. Friend has no responsibility for the numbers of staff employed by local authorities. But annual statistics are published in the Ministry of Labour Gazette. The figures for June 1964, were published in October 1964; those for June 1965, were published in the March 1966, issue.
143WDetails of the cost of salaries and wages paid to local government employees in England and Wales are published in Table V of the Local Government Financial Statistics. The latest published figures relate to the financial year ended 31st March, 1964. The figures for the financial year ended 31st March, 1965, will not be available for publication before November of this year. It is therefore not possible to compare salary and wages expenditure incurred in 1964 with that incurred since then.
The information available is not in sufficient detail to provide an analysis of the causes of any increase or decrease in numbers or expenditure.