§ Mr. Stonehouseasked the Minister for the Civil Service what would be the estimated annual saving on the national expenditure of a 20 per cent. reduction in the numbers of civil servants achieved as a result of the application of cost effective techniques, in terms of direct salary expenditure economy and the estimate of saving on accommodation costs, respectively.
§ Mr. Charles R. MorrisAs the right hon. Member will recall, every effort is made to ensure that the number of civil 623W servants employed is directly related to the administrative tasks imposed by legislation enacted by Parliament. Consequently, it would not be practicable to make such a reduction in the number of civil servants without a corresponding reduction in the work they are required to do and in the public services provided for the community. 20 per cent. of the estimated direct salary expenditure for 1975–76 amounts to approximately £450 million. I understand from my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for the Environment that the cost of accommodation is determined by location, function and other factors as well as by the numbers to be accommodated. It is not, therefore, meaningful to relate the cost of accommodation to numbers alone.