§ Mr. Stonehouseasked the Secretary of States for Defence what is the current number of civil servants in his Department; and what was the number in 1964 and the percentage increase or decrease between the two dates.
§ Mr. William RodgersIncluding the royal ordnance factories and locally engaged civilians abroad, the total number of civil servants currently employed by the Ministry of Defence is 317,300. The number on 1st April 1964 was 400,200. On the basis of these figures the decrease between the two dates is 20.7 per cent. Had it not been for changes in departmental organisation during this period, the chief of which was the transfer into the Department of 28,000 Ministry of Aviation Supply Staff in 1971, the current number employed would have been significantly lower and the percentage reduction correspondingly higher.