§ Mr. Michael Forsythasked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will estimate the number of people employed in local government, including the education and library boards, in actual numbers and in full-time equivalents; and if he will express both figures as a percentage of the total population.
§ Mr. Chris PattenThe total number of people employed by district councils and the education and library boards at 31 December 1983 was 44,061, representing 2.8 per cent. of the total population.
92WThe full-time equivalent figure for district councils would be 9,311, representing 0.6 per cent. of the total population. As indicated in the reply given to the hon. Member for Mid-Ulster (Rev. William McCrea) on 2 April 1984 [c. 402], full-time equivalents for employees of education and library boards cannot readily be calculated.