§ Lady HermonTo ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many civil servants in Northern Ireland, broken down by Department, he anticipates will lose their jobs as a consequence of the Comprehensive Spending Review; and how he expects frontline services will be affected. [185084]
§ Mr. PearsonI am committed to delivering efficiency gains for public services that at least match the 2.5 per cent. a year figure announced by the Chancellor in the SR2004 Spending Review outcome. All the money released through greater efficiency will be retained in Northern Ireland for reinvestment in priority front line services to the public. There is scope in Northern Ireland, as elsewhere, to reduce the number of posts involved in back office and related areas, so that more people and money can be reallocated to front line services.
The detailed implications for Northern Ireland are being considered as part of our own efficiency review which is ongoing. The conclusions of this work, together with the implications for civil service posts, will be contained in our Draft Priorities and Budget, to be published in September 2004.