§ Mr. Cartwrightasked the Secretary of State for Defence how many civilian personnel were employed in the Portsmouth dockyard in 1981; how many are currently employed; and what is the estimated number for 1986.
§ Mr. LeeIn 1981 the average number of civilian employees at Portsmouth dockyard was 6,727. The number employed there at 1 May 1984, the latest date for which figures are available, was 3,296. The reduction in numbers will be completed in October this year when the number of civilians in the dockyard will reach 2,800. This matches the civilian manpower requirement of the new fleet maintenance and repair organisation that will supersede the dockyard. Detailed manning levels for future years have not been calculated. However, present projected levels of employment are broadly those which we believe necessary given the likely workload.