§ Q12. Mr. Lathamasked the Prime Minister what progress is being made in implementing the Government's plans to reduce the size of the Civil Service.
§ The Prime MinisterAction taken in our first 18 months of office has reduced the size of the Civil Service by over 35,000 to 697,000 at 1 October 1980, the latest date for which figures are at present available centrally. Departmental Ministers are making out detailed plans to bring this figure down to 630,000 by April 1984. Targets for this purpose were announced by my right hon. Friend the then Minister of State, Civil Service Department, on 27 No vember.—[Vol. 994, c.173–76.]