§ Mr. Gordon Wilsonasked the Secretary of State for Scotland what is his policy on the reorganisation of administrative and finance officer grades in the Health Service; how many persons in those grades were employed in the years 1980 and 1981; and how many will be employed in 1982.
§ Mr. Allan StewartThe grading of these staff is negotiated through the Administrative and Clerical Staffs Whitley council and it is the responsibility of employing authorities to ensure that they are deployed as efficiently as possible. The total number of officers in the administrative and clerical staff group in and above the grade of general administrative assistant, including ambulance officers and managerial staff in hospital catering, domestic and laundry services—in whole-time equivalents—was 2,971 at September 1980 and 3,058 one year later. The numbers employed in 1982 will depend upon the decision taken by health boards and the Common Services Agency in the light of the resources available to them and other factors, including ceilings imposed on their management costs.