§ 82. Sir Knox Cunninghamasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many employees of the Paymaster-General's Department were housed in No. 10 Downing Street in March, 1966 and March, 1967, respectively.
§ Mr. MacDermotNone.
§ 83. Sir Knox Cunninghamasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many civil servants are at present employed in the Paymaster-General's Department.
§ Mr. MacDermotAt 30th April, 662 on banking and pensions work and 2 in the Minister's Private Office.
§ 84. Mr. Martenasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer when the Paymaster-General will pay an official visit to the Midlands in order to investigate possible sites for his office in accordance with Her Majesty's Government's policy of dispersing Government departments.
§ Mr. MacDermotThe decision to disperse this Office to Crawley was made by the previous Government and announced on 24th March, 1964. The move is well advanced and about 300 staff are already working in Crawley.
§ 85. Mr. Martenasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will publish a White Paper on the work of the Paymaster-General's Department.
§ Mr. MacDermotNo. The Paymaster-General's Office acts generally as a banker for government departments other than the Boards of Inland Revenue and Customs and Excise, and the Post Office, and is also responsible for the regular payment of many public service pensions including those of civil servants, teachers, and members of the National Health Service, as well as the retired pay and pensions of officers of the armed forces, their widows and dependents.