Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service

HC Deb 10 November 1975 vol 899 cc500-1W

Mr. Hayhoe

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what is the current annual cost of the Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service; how this compares with the cost of his Department's conciliation service in the financial year 1973–74; and how the number of staff has changed in this period.

Mr. Booth

The estimated cost of the Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service in the current financial year is £3,226,000 covering the Chairman, nine members and 465 staff. The estimated cost of the Department's Industrial Relations Division in the current financial year is £339,000 covering 55 staff.

Before the establishment of the Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service in September 1974 all staff engaged on conciliation work in the Department of Employment other than those in the Commission on Industrial Relations were with the Industrial Relations Division. In the financial year 1973–74 the estimated cost of this division was £1,109,000 covering 350 staff.