§ 39. Mr. Gordon Campbellasked the Minister for the Civil Service what is the latest strength of the Civil Service, compared with its strength at the end of January, 1968.
§ Mrs. Hart470,890 non-industrial staff on 1st November, 1968, compared with 467,700 in 1st January, 1968. I regret that comparable figures are not available for the end of January.
§ Mr. David Howellasked the Minister for the Civil Service whether he is aware that 22 per cent. of the British working population is employed in the public sector, as compared with 15 per cent. in the United States of America, 11 per cent. in West Germany and 6 per cent. in Japan; and what steps his department is taking to reduce the proportion of the working population employed in the public sector in Great Britain.
§ Mrs. HartSuch international comparisons are technically difficult and can be misleading because of the varying extent of the public sector. Steps have been taken to stabilise the size of the Civil Service during 1968–69; it represents about 1.8 per cent. of the working population. In the rest of the public sector the Departments concerned are fully aware of the need to economise in the employment of manpower.
§ Mr. David Howellasked the Minister for the Civil Service whether he will list the areas in which cuts in Civil Service staffing are now planned in order that there may be compliance with Her Majesty's Government's policy that there should be no further net increase in the number of civil servants as a whole over the year 1968–69.
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§ Mrs. HartReductions of staff are being made, in the Ministry of Defence and savings are being made wherever possible elsewhere which will offset the unavoidable increases in other Departments.