HC Deb 17 July 1989 vol 157 cc26-7W
Mr. Cousins

To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many staff were employed by the medicines control division of the Department in each year since 1979; and at what grades and locations.

Mr. Mellor

I regret that information is not available in the form requested. The table gives numbers of staff in post as at 31 March of each year since 1986. This includes staff of the British Pharmacopoeia Commission.

Staff in post 1986 Staff in post 1987 Staff in post 1988 Staff in post 1989
Grade 3/U.S 1 1 1 1
Grade 3/SPMO 1 1 1 1
Grade 4/CPHO 1 1 1 1
Grade 5/AS 2 2 2 2
Grade 6/S/PRIN 1 1 1 1
Grade 7/PRIN 7 9 9 9
SEO 3 5 5 5
HEO 16 21 19 19
EO 26 34 30 32
AO 53 55 54.5 58.5
AA 29 32 32 32
S/PES 1 1
PES 20 20 17 13
Typist 2 2 2
Data Processor 1
S/Paper Keeper 1
Paper Keeper 3
Messenger 2
Principal M.O. 3 3 3 3
Senior M.O. 14 13 15 12.5
M.O. 1 1
P.S.O. 2

Staff in post at 31 March
1979 1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985
Administrative Staff 120 120 117 134 128 142 145
Professional Staff 94 95 98 95 93.5 107.5 117.5
Totals 214 215 215 229 221.5 249.5 262.5

As to location the Medicines Control Agency, formerly the Medicines division, has been located at Market towers since 1980; previously they were at Finsbury square. The bulk of the staff are located at Market towers. The remainder are located at the BPC laboratory at Canons park and medicines inspectors at the following locations: Chester, Hitchin, York, East Grinstead, Chelmsford and Lymington.