§ Mr. George Cunninghamasked the Secretary of State for the Environment what was the number of staff employed by local authorities in England on 30th September 1972, or the nearest convenient date and at the most recent available date; and what was the total salaries bill for such staff.
§ Mr. John SilkinAccording to figures published annually in the Department of EmploymentGazette the number of staff employed by local authorities in England 346W in mid-June 1972 was 2,205,186. This figure includes police, teachers, manual workers, etc., as well as town hall staffs. In June 1973 the figure was 2,310,431.
The cost of salaries alone for such staff is not identifiable, but for local authorities in England overall staffing costs, including such items as superannuation and employers' national insurance contributions, amounted to £2,620 million in 1971–72. The figure for 1972–73 is not yet available.