HC Deb 23 November 1994 vol 250 cc212-3W
Mr. Ron Davies

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list the responsibilities that his Department has lost since(a) 1975 and (b) 1979; and if he will estimate the numbers of staff or part-time equivalent who used to undertake these responsibilities.

Mr. Redwood

[holding answer 22 November 1994]: The functions transferred from my Department since 1975 and the estimated numbers of associated staff are:

Number of staff
(1) Derelict Land (1975) to the Welsh development Agency Not available
(2) Small Firms Service (1986) (to the WDA) 7
(3) Artificial Limb and Appliance Centre (1988) (to WHCSA) 52.5
(4) Office of Her Majesty's Chief Inspector (1992) (new Government Department 74
(5) Orbital Prosthetist Service (1993) (to WHCSA) 2
(6) Dental Services (1993) (to the Dental Practice Board) 8.5
(7) Divisional Medical Office (1993) (to the Benefits Agency) 41.5

Numbers 1 to 5 were transferred to other Welsh organisations.

umbers 6 to 7 were transferred to joint England and Wales bodies.

Mr. Ron Davies

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list the responsibilities that his Department has gained since(a) 1975 and (b) 1979; and if he will estimate the numbers of staff or part-time equivalent used to administer these responsibilities.

Mr. Redwood

[holding answer 22 November 1994]: The functions that my Department has gained since 1975 and the estimated numbers of associated staff at the time are:

Number of staff
Industry—1975 82
Ancient monuments—1978 221
Further education policy, excluding universities—1978 24
Agriculture, Fisheries and Food—1978 536
Regional development grant—1984 78
Training, enterprise and education—1992 67

The Secretary of State assumed responsibility for the Further and Higher Education Funding Councils in 1993; no additional staff are employed in the Welsh Office on these functions. Reform of the European Union's common agricultural policy has since 1992 generated substantial additional work for, and brought certain new responsibilities to, the Welsh Office's Agriculture Department. An estimated 90 staff are engaged on this work.

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