HC Deb 06 March 1978 vol 945 cc499-500W
Mr. Alexander Fletcher

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland, following the replies to the hon. Member for Edinburgh, North on 27th February 1978 and 28th October 1976, how the staff savings of 56 at the Scottish Education Department and 5,322 in local authority education services were achieved; and why there has been an increase of 1,928 part-time employees in local authority education services.

Mr. McElhone

I regret that because of an error in the attribution of Scottish Educational Department staff to educational functions, the answer given to the hon. Member in my reply of 28th February understated the present staff numbers in SED engaged on educational administration. The number of staff in post at 27th February engaged on educational administration was 504 not 489. Posts were saved by relaxing controls over local authorities—for example, in relation to building projects—and the phasing out of the teachers' record card system. Staff numbers remain under continuous review in the light of the work which has to be done.

No detailed analysis has been made of the changes in the local authority figures, but it is clear that there has been a tendency to achieve economies by placing auxiliary staff on a part-time basis. A substantial part of the transfer took place between March and June 1977 when full-time staff decreased by 2,861 and part-time staff increased by 2,146.

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