§ Dr. StrangTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, pursuant to her answer to the hon. Member for Birmingham, Hall Green (Mr. Hargreaves), of 25 February,Official Report, columns 492–93, what reductions in staffing she envisages will result from the proposed changes to the Agricultural Development Advisory Service.
§ Mrs. Gillian ShephardResponsibility for this matter is delegated to ADAS and I have asked the chief executive to reply to the hon. Gentleman direct.
Letter from Dr. J. M. Walsh to Dr. Gavin Strang, dated 4 March 1994
The Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food has asked me to reply to your question as to what reductions in staffing ADAS envisages will result from its proposed re-structuring.Our cost recovery target of 63 per cent. from April 1994 onwards as agreed in PES 1993 is significantly more testing than hitherto. This rate of growth is achievable, but cannot be produced from revenue growth alone and requires a rapid and fundamental change in our working practices and cost base.The total reduction in ADAS consultancy and administrative support posts anticipated during 1994–95 is of the order of 325 out of a total number of posts of 2,500. I must stress, however, that redundancies will be kept to a minimum and that the necessary administrative post reductions will be managed in the following way:
- resettlement of staff into MAFF, Welsh Office and other Government Departments where possible;
- a reduction in the number of casual staff, and; natural wastage.
It is hoped that the reduction in the number of consultancy posts can mainly be achieved through a programme of:
- voluntary redundancy;
- early retirement, and;
- natural wastage.