§ Mr. FlynnTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list the jobs that have been lost to agencies in his Department in the past two years that have(a) been taken over by contractors and (b) disappeared. [18324]
§ Sir Paul Beresford[holding answer 4 April 1995]: The Department of the Environment contains five agencies—the Planning Inspectorate, the Building Research Establishment, the Queen Elizabeth II Conference Centre, the Buying Agency and the Securities Facilities Executive. The Planning Inspectorate's work is demand led and the agency has reduced its staffing level in line with falling appeals. No jobs have been contracted out or functions ceased. The Building Research Establishment has entered into a partnership agreement with a private firm to undertake its publications business. Four staff transferred to the new company and three others left the BRE. A number of staff transferred within BRE as part of a consequential reorganisation. The total number of staff employed by the BRE is dependant on the income it is able to generate. Staff numbers in the other three agencies have increased in the past two years to meet operational needs.
The Secretary of State is also responsible for the Ordnance Survey, where staff numbers have been reduced by 278 in the past two years. Only two posts were taken over by contractors. The other lost posts are the net effect of changes in operational activities and efficiency gains.