§ Mr. Pawseyasked the Secretary of State for the Environment what is his analysis of the reasons for the increase in local government manpower from 1.870,000 to 3,013,000 between 1961 and 1978 while central Government manpower rose from 1,773,000 to 2,309,000 and the total national work force by only 413.000 during the same period.
§ Mr. HeseltineLocal authority manpower in England and Wales rose from 1,576,000 in 1961 to 2,568,000 in 1978. The differences between these figures and those given in the question are accounted for by health services manpower (up to 1974) and by Scotland and Northern Ireland. The increase in public sector manpower may be attributed partly to deliberate policies, by both central and local government, to improve levels of service in education, social services, law and order and other services, and partly to weakness of managerial control over the use of resources in the public sector. The increases have exceeded the total growth in employment because private industry has substantially increased its productivity over the period.