§ Mr. Michael Brownasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what are the proposed reductions in the number of civil servants employed in his Department; and what reductions so far have been carried out.
§ Mr. WhitelawThe number of staff in post in the Home Office has increased by about 650 since May 1979, of whom over 500 are in prison department outstations and the rest are in police support and immigration control, reflecting the priority which the Government continue to attach to these services. The reductions proposed in the planned provision for staff costs during the current and later years are in accordance with the announcements made by my hon. Friend, the Minister of State, Civil Service Department, on 6 December 1979 and on 14 March.