HC Deb 20 October 1976 vol 917 cc452-3W
Mr. Stephen Ross

asked the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list in the Official Report the number of civil servants engaged in the Ministry of Defence, and the number of active Service men, in each of the last 10 years, and in 1945, 1950, 1955 and 1960.

Dr. Gilbert

The number of civil servants employed by the Ministry of Defence, including the Royal ordnance factories, and the number of Service men at 1st April in each year is shown below. The figures for civil servants are not directly comparable, taking one year with another, because of changes in departmental responsibilities. Detailed figures for these changes are not available for the period 1945 to 1964, but there were two notable transfers of staff in that period. Some 40,000 staff were transferred from the Ministry of Supply to the War Office in 1959 and some 50,000 staff were transferred from the Admiralty, War Office and Air Ministry to the Ministry of Public Building and Works in 1963. Over the period 1964–1976 there has been a net transfer into the Ministry of Defence of about 32,000, mainly from the Ministry of Aviation Supply and the Atomic Energy Authority.

Civil Servants Service Men
1945 158,000* 5,035,000+
1950 296,000† 785,000
1955 328,000† 903,000
1960 321,000† 559,000
1967 369,000 450,000
1968 356,000 430,000
1969 338,000 405,000
1970 327,000 393,000
1971 345,000 373,000
1972 324,000 380,000
1973 320,000 377,000
1974 315,000 358,000
1975 317,000 347,000
1976 311,000 346,000
* United Kingdom non-industrial staff only.
† United Kingdom based staff only of the Admiralty. War Office and Air Ministry.
+ United Kingdom personnel only.