§ Mr. George Cunninghamasked the Minister for the Civil Service what were the numbers of civil servants employed in each of the normal ranks down to and including principal on 1st January 1973 and 1st January 1974; and what was the salary range for each rank.
§ Mr. Robert SheldonBecause of reclassification of some grades there are inconsistencies in the figures for 1st January 1973 and 1974; figures are given, therefore, for 1st April showing the information as requested for the main grades in the Administration Group and in the Open Structure:
The scheme requires them, before the contract is made, to approve the relevant plans and specification, the tender for expenditure to be incurred, and the form of contract. Relating an approval to expenditure to which the applicant is himself committed means that there will not be a commitment to aid any subsequent work not expressly covered by the contract in question. The extent to which a later price increase on the work contracted for would rank for grant will be a matter for the authority or board, having regard to the terms of any cost variation clauses in the contract originally approved by them.
Where a loan is approved similar considerations will apply, but the percentage of approved expenditure so covered will, as hitherto, be at the discretion of the authority or board.