HC Deb 15 February 1979 vol 962 cc591-3W
Mr.Ralph Howell

asked the Minister for the Civil Service if he will publish figures showing the total number of civil servants employed in each year since 1960, and pointing out the Departments where the main changes have been.

Mr.Arthur Davidson

It is not possible to make a direct comparison between the level of capital disregarded for legal aid and that for supplementary benefit purposes, because in the former additional allowances are made against capital for dependants and low income. Similar allowances are not made for supplementary benefit purposes. The following table shows the increases made during the last 10 years in the disposable capital disregard for legal aid as it would apply to a single person who did not qualify for a low income allowance. This is compared with the capital disregard for supplementary benefit purposes in force at those times.

Mr.Charles R. Morris

For the period 1965 to 1975 I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Eastbourne (Mr. Gow)—[Vol. 893, c.28–38]—in which he asked for the total number of civil servants employed in each Department in those years.

For the period 1976–78, the publication "Civil Service Statistics 1978"—a copy of which is available in the Library—includes in table 2 corresponding information for those later years.

For 1960 to 1964 the number of civil servants in post at 1 January in each year was as follows:

1960 … … … … 656,400
1961 … … … … 654,800
1962 … … … … 662,400
1963 … … … … 670,900
1964 … … … … 672,200

NOTE: All figures rounded to the nearest 100.

The main changes in Departments in the period 1960 to 1964 were:

(i) Departments of technical Co-operation. July 1961 certain functions of Foreign Office, Colonial Office and Commonwealth Relations Office brought together in new department. Those functions were in turn transferred to the new Ministry of Overseas Development in October 1964.

(ii) Ministry of Public Building and Works. July 1962 Ministry of Works functions broadened.

(iii) Ministry of Defence. April 1964 creation of unified Ministry of Defence, bringing together War Office, Air Ministry, Admiralty and Defence.

(iv) Department of Education and Science. April 1964 bringing together of functions of Minister of Education, Minister of Science and certain residuary research functions of the Lord President of the Council.