Departmental Downsizing (Hansard, 17 December 2003)

§ Mr. Burstow
To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on his plans for downsizing his Department. [141208]

§ Ms Rosie Winterton
By October 2004, the size of the core Department will be reduced by 1,400—from over 3,600 to 2,245–a 38 per cent. reduction. Half the posts will be transferred to other national bodies, which are themselves being renewed and the remaining reduction will be achieved through changing the way we work as a Department.

§ Mr. Burstow
To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will set out the rationale underlying the proposed reduction in size of his Department. [143706]

§ Ms Rosie Winterton
The Department is changing to reflect the environment in which it works, particularlyThe reform of the national health service and local government to meet the public's expectations for better health and social care services. The government's drive to shift the balance of power from Whitehall to staff in frontline hospitals, general practitioner surgeries, care homes, social services and the community. The creation of new independent bodies.
The Department will work closely with a number of important partners to deliver better health and social care services. It will employ a much lighter touch on performance management, enabling the 28 strategic health authorities to operate as the local headquarters for the NHS. The Department will also work with the Commission for Healthcare Audit and Inspection and the Commission for Social Care Inspection, which will independently inspect NHS and social care services.
The Department's Change Programme will help shift the balance of power to the frontline and reduce bureaucracy at the centre.

§ Tim Loughton
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what reduction in staff numbers in his Department he expects to have been achieved by the end of 2004. [143056]

§ Ms Rosie Winterton
The change programme currently under way in the Department will reduce its size by 1,400 posts. This is a 38 per cent. reduction in posts and will be achieved by October 2004. Some of the posts will be transferred to other national bodies, which are themselves being reviewed and efficiency savings will achieve the remaining reductions.