§ Mr. DobsonTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list for 1979, 1984 and the most recent year the numbers of staff by grade in the statistical divisions in his Department; and if he will differentiate between staff in the statistical posts and staff in the administrative posts.
§ Mr. Peter BottomleyThe following table gives data for the permanent staff (including supernumeraries) in the directorate of statistics (DST) in the Department of Transport on 1 April 1984 and 1988, together with figures for the corresponding directorate (DES B) of the DOE-DTp common services structure in April 1979. There have been a number of changes in function in the nine years covered. For example, between 1979 and 1984, statistical work that had been carried out by 8½n the National Ports Council was taken over; and between 1984 and 1988 10 posts were taken over from DTI for work on shipping and aviation statistics, and seven posts were added for work taken over following the abolition of the GLC. Statistical posts filled by members of the statistician group are shown at the top of the table. There are also three members of the group in statistical posts elsewhere in the Department and another is filling a basically administrative post.
777W
Complement Staff in post 1 April 1979 1 April 1984 1 April 1988 1 April 1979 1 April 1984 1 April 1988 Sub-total 21 27 33 21 26 32 Other staff Economic adviser (grade 7) — 1 1 — 1 1 Principal scientific officer (grade 7) — — 1 — 1 1 Senior information officer (SSSO) — — 1 — — — Higher P and TO (PTOII) — 2 2 — — 1 P and TO (PTOIII) — 2 2 — 2 2 Senior executive officer 2 — 1 2 — 1 Higher executive officer 8 6 10 7 7 8 Executive officer 19 18 29 20 18 27 Administrative officer (CO) 44 36 26 42 34 26 Administrative assistant (CA) 16 6 5 13 6 5 Typographer — — — — — 1 (Senior) personal secretary 4 5 5 3 5 4 Senior data processor 3 — — 3 — — Data processor 15 — — 13 — — Messenger 1 — — 1 — — Grand total 133 103 116 125 100 109 The question asks about staff in the statistical divisions of the Department, and has been answered in those terms. This means that the staff figures do not correspond to those used in the 1980 Rayner review, quoted (for DTp and DOE combined) in the White Paper "Government Statistical Services" [Cmnd. 8236 of April 1981], which included some staff engaged on statistical work in other divisions in the Department.
§ Mr. DobsonTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport what is the latest figure for the number of staff presently employed in the press and public relations office of his Department.
§ Mr. Peter BottomleyEighteen staff are presently employed in the Department of Transport's infomation division, press and public relations services.