§ Mr. John H. Osbornasked the Secretary of State for the Environment if the will tabulate the number of staff in each metropolitan district in England, indicating the staff per head of population; and if he will make a statement.
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§ Mr. KingThe information request is tabulated below. Local circumstances—other than population size—may well account for some of the differences in staffing levels between authorities; but I am sure that councillors and ratepayers in some of the authorities listed will wish to ask why their own staffing levels are so much higher than elsewhere.
Metropolitan Districts Manpower Employees* Total Staff (full time + part time) per thousand population† Full time Part time Barnsley 6,738 4,596 51.1 Birmingham 33,773 19,854 51.9 Bolton 8,204 4,393 48.5 Bradford 13,938 10,101 39.2 Bury 4,352 2,660 39.0 Calderdale 5,011 3,868 47.0 Coventry 11,225 7,292 54.6 Doncaster 8,991 6,413 53.7 Dudley 6,889 4,340 37.9 Gateshead 7,920 2,911 51.1 Kirklees 9,998 7,947 47.3 Knowsley 5,808 3,160 49.8 Leeds 20,787 12,415 45.9 Liverpool 21,511 9,250 59.1 Manchester 27,202 12,534 83.0 Newcastie upon Tyne 12,798 5,946 65.3 North Tyneside 6,369 3,689 52.1 Oldham 6,377 3,775 45.3 Rochdale 6,279 4,207 50.2 Rotherham 7,280 5,120 49.8 Salford 8,478 4,821 52.8 Sandwell 10,013 4,755 48.1 Sefton 7,830 4,210 40.0 Sheffield 20,142 10,409 56.2 Solihull 4,414 3,270 38.8 South Tyneside 6,326 2,381 53.4 St. Helens 5,794 3,593 49.7 Stockport 7,396 4,702 41.4 Sunderland 12,234 5,172 57.8 Tameside 6,330 4,311 48.6 Trafford 5,056 3,673 39.0 Wakefield 9,500 6,315 51.0 Walsall 8,263 5,863 53.7 Wigan 8,210 5,437 47.1 Wirral 9,698 5,169 43.5 Wolverhampton 9,793 5,479 59.2 Notes:
* Figures from the joint manpower watch return for December 1980, except for Coventry—latest available figure for March 1980. Figures include all metropolitan district council staff except those employed in magistrates' courts.
† Based on population figures from the Registrar General's mid-year estimate 1979.
The ratio of staff per thousand population is calculated on the basis of total staff numbers and will not reflect the wide variation in the hours worked by part-time staff.
§ Mr. John H. Osbornasked the Secretary of State for the Environment what is the proposed rate increase in each metropolitan district in England.
§ Mr. KingThe average increases notified to the Department in general non-domestic rate poundages between 1980–81 and 1981–82 are as follows:
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Authority Percentage Pence Bolton 33.4 35.0 Bury 34.5 43.0 Manchester 31.0 48.6 Oldham 19.2 23.0
Authority Percentage Pence Rochdale 37.3 48.4 Salford 16.4 19.5 Stockport 14.2 16.9 Tameside 27.4 34.5 Trafford 9.7 11.6 Wigan 20.4 28.5 Knowsley 13.6 17.6 Liverpool 19.2 27.3 St. Helens 16.2 24.4 Sefton 10.2 11.8 Wirral 13.0 17.0 Barnsley 22.7 34.7 Doncaster 21.7 34.2 Rotherham 17.6 25.8 Sheffield 36.6 56.5 Gateshead 22.1 30.8 Newcastle upon Tyne 26.3 46.5 North Tyneside 25.0 36.0 South Tyneside 17.1 22.5 Sunderland 21.4 30.0 Birmingham 31.5 34.0 Coventry 31.6 36.1 Dudley 20.5 22.2 Sandwell 21.7 26.7 Solihull 28.3 30.9 Walsall 23.2 29.8 Wolverhampton 17.1 21.7 Bradford 17.2 21.5 Calderdale 8.4 10.7 Kirklees 11.1 14.2 Leeds 22.6 24.1 Wakefield 15.8 19.5
§ Mr. John H. Osbornasked the Secretary of State for the Environment what assessment he has made of the effect on industry and employment of rate increases in metropolitan districts where the increase is greater than the national average; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. KingWe are very concerned about the effect on industry and employment of the excessive rate rises imposed by some local authorities. There is clear evidence that firms are paying increasing attention to the level of rates in determining where to site new ventures. I note that in my hon. Friend's constituency, Sheffield city council has increased the non-domestic rate by 36.6 per cent. to an average of 210.94p, the second highest in any metropolitan district. This level will clearly place a severe burden on local industry; and is bound to inhibit investment and damage employment prospects in the city.