§ Mr. Sproatasked the Secretary of State for Scotland what manpower reductions have been achieved in the Scottish Office over the past two years.
§ Mr. YoungerThe number of staff in the Scottish Office, excluding the prison service and the staff of the State hospital, has fallen from 8,233 at 1 April 1979, to 7,659 at 1 April 1981. When account is taken of the transfer of functions to and from other Departments—a net addition to staff of 96—the total reduction is 670, or 8 per cent. over the two-year period.
In the same period, the number of staff in the prison service and at the State hospital has risen from a combined total of 2,941 to 3,142.