HC Deb 06 March 1986 vol 93 cc268-71W
Mr. Ralph Howell

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what was the number of local government personnel in England in (a) education, (b) planning, (c) police, (d) fire services, (e) social services, (f) consumer services, (g) library and recreation and (h) other services, respectively, during the years 1960, 1970, 1980, 1981, 1982, 1983, 1984 and 1985, respectively; and what was the total cost in salaries and wages in each case.

Mrs. Rumbold

The available information is given in the table together with the notes.

Local authority manpower and manpower costs by service England (except England and Wales for 1960–61)
1960–61 1970–71 1980–81 1981–82 1982–83 1983–84 1984–85 1985–86
Education
Manpower (FTE) 923,100 896,000 881,700 877,100 870,600 865,900
Cost (£ million) 414 1,101 6,442 7,149 7,591 7,989 8,315
Planning
Manpower (FTE) 20,400 20,100 19,600 19,800 19,800 19,800
Cost (£ million) 18 167 173 185 202 213
Police
Manpower (FTE) 149,300 153,800 154,800 155,700 155,900 155,900
Cost (£ million) 74 265 1,509 1,797 2,018 2,235 2,569
Fire services
Manpower (FTE) 38,700 38,400 38,600 38,800 39,100 39,200
Cost (£ million) 19 51 331 393 436 477 506
Social services
Manpower (FTE) 195,700 197,900 198,800 203,100 207,600 211,300
Cost (£ million) 69 206 1,209 1,350 1,485 1,612 1,709
Consumer services
Manpower (FTE)
Cost (£ million) 4 32 36 40 42 44
Libraries, museums and recreation
Manpower (FTE) 105,600 104,000 103,400 105,500 106,800 107,700
Cost (£ million) 68 481 524 565 605 676
Other services
Manpower (FTE) 518,200 504,200 490,200 492,700 492,000 491,700
Cost (£ million) 395 818 3,339 3,626 3,856 4,011 4,200
TOTALS
Manpower (FTE) 1,951,000 1,914,400 1,887,100 1,892,700 1,891,800 1,891,500
Cost (£ million) 971 2,531 13,510 15,048 16,176 17,173 18,232

Notes to the table

1. The manpower figures are from the "Joint Manpower Watch" as at June of each year and are given in terms of full-time equivalents. They are not available for 1960–61 or 1970–71.

2. Separate manpower figures are not available for consumer services. They are included in the manpower figures for other services.

3. The manpower costs include wages and salaries, employers' national insurance contributions, superannuation, allowances, training and other expenses. The 1960–61 figures are for England and Wales. For the remaining years they are for England. The 1984–85 figures are provisional.

4. Separate figures for the manpower cost of planning, consumer services and libraries, museums and recreation are not available for 1960–61. These items are in other services for that year.

5. Except as indicated in 2 and 4 above other services include local transport, housing (including housing revenue account) administration of justice, employment services, environmental services, miscellaneous rate fund services and trading services.

6. There are differences in the way in which the data sources attribute manpower and manpower cost figures to services. The cost figures do not therefore precisely relate to the manpower figures.

Mr. Ralph Howell

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what was the total amount paid in wages and salaries to all persons employed in local government in 1979, 1980, 1981, 1982 and 1983, respectively; if he will show the 1982 figure and the 1983 figure as percentages of the 1979 figure; and what information he has as to how much was paid in each case to (a) chief and senior officers and (b) other personnel, excluding manual workers, and (c) manual workers, showing in each case 1982, 1983, 1984, and 1985 figures as a percentage of 1979 figures.

Mrs. Rumbold

The following is the available information on local authority employee costs in England:

£ million Percentage of 1979–80
1979–80 10,950
1980–81 13,510
1981–82 15,050
1982–83 16,180 148
1983–84 17,170 157
1984–85 18,230 166
1985–86 n.a.

The figures cover employee costs in rate fund services, trading services, and the housing revenue account, and include wages and salaries, national insurance, employers superannuation contributions and so on.

Outturn data held by the Department do not provide information on wages and salaries alone nor a breakdown of employee costs into (i) chief and senior officers (ii) manual workers, (iii) others.

Mr. Ralph Howell

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will state (a) the total expenditure on local government in 1979, 1984 and 1985 and (b) the average overall cost of local government staff; and if he will break down the average cost into pay, national insurance, personnel overheads, accommodation and rents, office services and superannuation and pension schemes and any other costs relating to staff for each year and (c) show the overall cost on staff as a percentage of total spending in each case.

Mrs. Rumbold

The available information is as follows:

1979–80 England and Wales £ million 1984–85 England £ million
Gross revenue expenditure 25,265 36,740
Total employee costs 11,590 (46 percentage) 18,230 (50 percentage)

Total employee costs as a percentage of gross revenue expenditure are shown in brackets. Separate outturn information on wages and salaries, national insurance and the other elements specified in the question and estimates for 1985–86 are not available.

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