§ Mr. O'Halloranasked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what was the cost of the Civil Service in each of the last five years.
§ Mr. Merlyn ReesI presume that my hon. Friend is referring to the Northern Ireland Civil Service, for which I am responsible. The cost of salaries of the Northern Ireland Civil Service, which consists now of some 22,500 non-industrial and some 11,000 industrial staff, was as follows:
(£ million at 1975 PES prices) 1971–72 … … … … 42.5 1972–73 … … … … 45.7 1973–74 … … … … 60.3 1974–75 … … … … 74.8 1975–76 … … … … 85.9 These figures naturally reflect the reorganisation of local government in Northern Ireland and the absorption of employees from local government into the Civil Service from 1st October 1973.