§ Q43. Mr. Rentonasked the Prime Minister whether she is satisfied with the decline in the numbers of civil servants since 1979.
§ The Prime MinisterThe number of civil servants is down by 57,000 since we took office. This is over halfway towards the 102,000 savings by 1984 which I announced in May 1980. There is, of course, still some way to go, but I am satisfied that we are on target for a total of 630,000 by April 1984. The Civil Service is now more streamlined and efficient than it was in 1979 and we are continuing to pursue policies which enable civil servants to give the best value to the taxpayer.