§ Mr. Arthur Lewisasked the Secretary of State for Employment how many casual staff have been taken on at employment exchanges and National Insurance offices to deal with matters connected with the increased number of unemployed; how many of these have been taken on since June, 1970 until the latest stated date; what is the annual or weekly cost in wages and salaries and what has been the cost between 1st January and 1st July, 1971, for the salaries of the 457 additional non-industrial staff that have been employed to deal with unemployment.
§ Mr. Dudley SmithThe number of casuals in post in employment exchanges was 889 on 1st July, 1970, and 2,302 on 1st July, 1971. The increase was due 213W almost entirely to higher unemployment. The increased salary cost at 1st July, 1971, was about £30,000 a week.
The weekly salary cost at 1st July, 1971, of the 457 non-industrial staff taken on at intervals during the preceding six months was £12,000.