§ Mr. Trotterasked the Secretary of State for Prices and Consumer Protection what is her estimate of the number of firms at present required to register with the Price Commission and of the additional firms required to register after 1st March.
§ Mrs. Shirley WilliamsBetween 1,400 and 1,500 firms have an obligation to make regular reports to the Price Commission. The commission has so far identified some 8,500 additional firms of a size which requires them to register with the commission before 1st March, but it is impossible to give any reliable estimate of the total number of firms to which this obligation applies.
§ Mr. Trotterasked the Secretary of State for Prices and Consumer Protection what is the present staff in the Price Commission; how many extra staff it is proposed to engage; and how many staff will be required to deal with the affairs of firms now required to register after 1st March.
§ Mrs. Shirley WilliamsThe total staff complement of the Price Commission is 800. The commission's most recent quarterly report showed a total of 696 staff in post at the end of November 1974. Further staff were in process of recruitment, mainly to provide an improved service in the regions. The best estimate which can be made is that the commission 371W will require about 770 staff to carry out its present responsibilities, including those arising out of the registration of Category III enterprises. Extra staff are not being recruited specifically for this purpose.