HL Deb 07 October 1976 vol 374 cc1648-50WA
Lord VAIZEY

asked Her Majesty's Government:

The Percentage of Government offices:

  1. (a) in London,
  2. (b) outside London,
cleaned by contract cleaning companies for each year since 1970 and if they will detail the cost.

Lord PEART

The information requested is not available centrally and could not be obtained without disproportionate cost. However, a survey carried out in 1970 on behalf of the National Board for Prices and Incomes in connection with their investigation into Pay and Conditions in the Contract Cleaning Trade (NBPI Report No. 168) indicated that approximately two-thirds of the total area of Government offices was then cleaned under contract and one-third by directly employed labour. I have no evidence to suggest that these proportions have altered significantly since 1970.

The NBPI report gives the cost of cleaning Government offices by contract in 1970 as approximately £4 million. Information readily available centrally about the cost of contract cleaning is incomplete and in any case shows only the Estimates provision for the years 1975–76 and 1976–77. These figures are:

Department 1970 1971 1972 1973 1974 1975 1976
(Full-time equivalent staff in post as at 1st April each year)
Agriculture, Fisheries and Food 239½ 244 236½ 233 230 238 243
Customs and Excise 198½ 200 207 211½ 234 252 274
Defence 60½ 65 75 124 121 137 146
Employment 687 677 554 620½ 525(d) 328 366
Environment/PSA (a) 320 270 157 115 120 155 169
Health and Social Security 749 741½ 726½ 699½ 601 641 685
Home Office 88 87½ 64 84½ 79 96 99
Inland Revenue 377 385 407½ 398½ 389 398 405
Lord Chancellor's Office (c) (c) 173 148 172 172 190
National Savings 336 306½ 278 199 182 132 129
Trade and Industry (c) 90 82 78½ 60 56 53
Scottish Office (Central Services)(b) 171½ 95½ 100½ 158 154 152 150
Other Departments 577 539 591½ 437½ 430 432 704(d)
3,804 3,701 3,652½ 3,507½ 3,297 3,189 3,613
NOTES:
(a) Department of the Environment established on 12 November 1970, incorporating the former MPBW, MMLG and Ministry of Transport.
(b) Scottish Office established on 1 April 1970, incorporating the former SDD, DAFS, SED and SHHD.
(c) Separate figures not available.
(d) The Manpower Services Commission, Employment Service Agency and Training Services Agency were hived off from the Civil Service in 1974 (204 staff) and returned on January 1, 1976 (273 staff).

1975–76 £11.2 million (including Supplementary Estimates)
1976–77 £12.4 million (excluding Supplementary Estimates)

Lord VAIZEY

asked Her Majesty's Government:

The number of directly employed cleaners in each of the main Government Departments:

  1. (a) in London,
  2. (b) outside London,
for each year since 1970.

Lord PEART

Departmental returns for the years in question do not differentiate between staff employed n London and elsewhere. The following numbers of non-industrial cleaners are expressed as full-time equivalents, with two part-time cleaners counted as on; full-time cleaner:

House adjourned at five minutes past eleven o'clock.