HC Deb 18 June 1971 vol 819 cc155-6W
Mr. Onslow

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what steps he is taking to reduce the number of staff employed by his Department; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Peter Walker

Steps taken to reduce the number of staff employed have already resulted in savings of some 1,000 industrial staff in 1970–71 and it is hoped to save a further 400 in the current year. Last year the Housing and Construction area of the Department was planned to grow by an extra 1,000 non-industrial staff. This growth was stopped last autumn and the numbers held some 500 lower than planned.

This year we have to provide for a growth of 300 in the non-industrial staff of the centralised vehicle and licensing installation in Swansea, most of whom are being transferred from local authorities which perform this task at present. In spite of this, non-industrial numbers overall will grow by fewer than 200 in the current financial year. Taking non-industrial and industrial staff together, there will be a saving.

The activities of the three former Ministries forming the Department of the Environment are being reviewed to see where Government activity can be reduced or eliminated and savings of staff and other resources made. There are three main possibilities. First, rationalisation and integration; merging the common services of the three former Ministries has enable us to save some staff already and we intend to save more by this means. Special reviews of the headquarters and regional organisations are being made which should contribute to staff economies. Second, using private firms; we are well along this road. 40 per cent. by value of our work on designing major new building projects is passed to private consulting firms and we use private contractors extensively for construction work. The third possibility with the greatest potential for significant savings is the shedding of functions. The Land Commission, when the Government decided to abolish it, employed 900 staff. It was then a separate agency, and its staff, although civil servants, were not counted among the staff of the Department of the Environment. By April, 1971, the staff had been reduced to 100. They have now been transferred to the Department of the Environment to complete the Commission's residual work and so are included in the Department's manpower. Only 50 will remain by April, 1972.

Other possibilities of this kind are under close review.