§ Mr. Ralph Howellasked the Minister for the Civil Service if he will tabulate the extra public sector personnel required by legislation passed between June 1970 and February 1974, and compare the total with the total employed in June 1970, giving the increase as a percentage of that total; and if he will give comparable figures in respect of legislation passed since 1st March 1974, including that currently before Parliament, and making a similar comparison with the total employed in March 1974.
§ Mr. Charles R. MorrisCentral records of the information requested are not available, though a broad analysis of public sector employment is given in the publicationEconomic Trends. The estimated effect of legislation is given in the Explanatory and Financial Memorandum to each Bill. For Civil Service manpower, which is my responsibility, the total staff in post figures on the dates in question were 702,000 on 1st July 1970, 697,000 on 1st March 1974 and 694,000 on 1st January 1975 the latest date for which staff in post figures are available. The provision for 1st April 1975 in the Estimates for 1975–76 was 706,000. Details about other parts of the public sector are a matter for the Ministers concerned.