HC Deb 18 April 1967 vol 745 cc75-6W
Mr. Channon

asked the Minister of Public Building and Works what estimate he has made of the financial savings of the late amalgamation of the works departments of the service ministries under his Department in each of the years 1964, 1965, and 1966.

Mr. Prentice

Since the merger in 1963, the total annual work load of the Ministry has grown from £224 million to £292 million but there has been a net reduction in industrial and non-industrial staff of 2,500. Allowing for extra costs not reflected in these figures, the Min- istry's overheads on works services have fallen during the period.

The work for the Service departments is now integrated with the rest of the Ministry's work and it is not possible to produce meaningful figures of savings from year to year on that aspect of the Ministry's work in isolation.