HC Deb 16 March 1981 vol 1 c43W
Mr. Michael Brown

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list in the Official Report whether, for each case of the undermentioned savings in his Department between 1 May 1979 and 1 December 1980, the savings are because of (a) transfers of work to elsewhere in his Department, (b) transfers of work to private contractors, (c) the work is no longer undertaken or (d) increases in efficiency; and if such a reduction is due to increases in efficiency he will detail how extra efficiency has been achieved and what functions have been dropped: three officials in the development plans and regional policy directorate, nine officials in the planning land use policy directorate, two officials in the new towns directorate, five officials in the planning intelligence directorate, five officials in the local government finance policy directorate, three officials in the housing, water and central finance directorate, 14 officials in the housing "B" directorate, 8.5 officials in the housing "C" directorate, two officials in the housing "D" directorate, two officials in the sport and recreation directorate, and five officials in the rural affairs directorate.

Mr. Heseltine

In each case category (c) applies, with the following exception or additions:

Directorate Category
Local Government Finance Policy (a) and (d) only
Planning Intelligence (a) also
Housing B, C and D (d) also
Rural Affairs (a) also

The reference to category (d) relate to changes brought about by directorat re-organisation and rationalisation of work.

Mr. Michael Brown

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list in the Official Report whether the saving of 26.5 officials in the district audit service between 1 May 1979 and 1 December 1980 is because of (a) transfers of work to elsewhere in his Department, (b) transfers of work to private contractors, (c) the work is no longer undertaken or (d) of increases in efficiency; and if such a reduction is due to increases in efficiency, he will detail how extra efficiency has been achieved and what functions have been dropped.

Mr. Heseltine

The reduction are mostly attributable to category(b) but there has been an element of (d) arising from changes in the method of assessing local authority performance.