§ Mr. Robin F. Cookasked the Secretary of State for Transport (1) if he will list in the Official Report the expected
696W(a) net value of output and (b) number of employees for each of the road construction units in 1978;
(2) if he will list in the Official Report the expected (a) net value of output on highway schemes and (b) number of people employed for this purpose of each of his regional controllers in 1978.
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§ Mr. William RodgersThe number of permanent staff employed by road construction units and regional controllers is shown below. On average about one-third of the regional controllers' staff are associated with trunk road building. Regional controllers are also concerned with local road building through their liaison with local authorities about transport policies and programmes. There is no generally accepted measure that would allow a comparison of overall output per head for the units or regions. The value of schemes under construction would not reflect the design work on new schemes, while the total value of schemes in preparation would not take account of differing timings of major schemes in different parts of the country, or the varying proportions of work that are undertaken by consultants or, in the case of regional controllers, by agent local authorities.
Total Staff Regional Controller (1978) Eastern … 90 East Midland … 65 West Midland … 88 South Eastern … 100 South Western … 85 North Western … 69 Yorkshire and Humberside … 65 Northern … 54
Total Staff Road Construction Unit (1978) Eastern … 444 Midland … 394 South Eastern … 672 South Western … 278 North Western … 470 North Eastern … 382