§ Sir David Priceasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many civil servants were employed by his Department in May 1979; how many are employed in February 1982; and what has been the percentage change; in each case how many were first division civil servants; and what has been the percentage change in their numbers.
§ Mr. Bruce-GardyneThe figures are given at 1 April 1979 and 1 January 1982. The total number of permanent staff—counting part-time staff as half-units—employed by the Chancellor of the Exchequer's Departments was 126,869 at 1 April 1979 and 121,379 at 1 January 1982, giving a percentage reduction of 4.3.
Of the 121,379, around 9,900 were staff for whom responsibility was formally transferred to the Chancellor of the Exchequer from the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster on 7 December 1981. Had this transfer not occurred the percentage reduction would have been 12.1
Although the term "first division civil servants" is not a recognised Civil Service terminology, the number of staff employed in the Chancellor's Departments at principal and equivalent professional grade and above at 1 April 1979 and 1 January 1982 was 4,240 and 4,334 respectively, giving a percentage increase of 2.2. Of the 4,334, around 300 were staff formally transferred to the Chancellor on 7 December 1981. Had this transfer not occurred there would have been a percentage reduction of 4.8.