HC Deb 15 February 1999 vol 325 c528W
Mr. Chaytor

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he has taken to relocate staff in(a) his Department and (b) the agencies for which he is responsible to the regions of the United Kingdom with the highest levels of unemployment; and what plans he has further to decentralise the location of his Department and its agencies. [70464]

Mr. Denham

The Department has a total of 4,896 staff, of whom 51 per cent. are based outside of London in some 40 offices throughout England. The Department underwent a major relocation exercise in 1993 when staff, mainly from London, were relocated to Leeds to establish the National Health Service Executive which now employs 652 people in Leeds. Around 50 staff in the NHS Estates Agency relocated from London to Leeds at the same time. The NHS Pensions Agency relocated to Fleetwood from Canons Park, London, in 1967. There are currently no plans for further relocation.

Mr. Chaytor

To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list the total number of staff(a) in his Department and (b) in each of the agencies for which he is responsible and their location in (i) London, (ii) Wales, (iii) Scotland and (iv) each of the English regions. [70478]

Mr. Denham

The information requested is in the table. The Department has no employees in Scotland or Wales.

Department (excluding Agencies) Medical Devices Agency Medicines Control Agency NHS Estates Agency NHS Pensions Agency Total
East
Midlands 29 0 1 0 0 30
Eastern 5 0 6 1 0 12
London 1,760 128 482 2 0 2,372
Merseyside 16 0 0 0 0 16
North East 122 0 0 1 0 123
North West 165 8 5 0 489 667
South East 230 10 10 4 0 254
South West 133 0 0 0 0 133
West Midlands 252 0 0 3 0 255
Yorkshire and Humberside 892 0 4 138 0 1,034
Total 3,604 146 508 149 489 4,896