asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what has been the total expenditure by local authorities during the past 12 months on directly employed staff; and what was the comparable figure for each of the previous three years.

The latest figures are set out below. As comparisons before and after April 1974 are affected by the transfer of responsibility for some services from local authorities to regional water authorities and the National Health Service, some additional figures are given on the approximate expenditure on those services which are currently a local authority responsibility.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what is the total number of persons directly employed by local authorities in Great Britain; and how this compares with the same date last year.

In June 1974 the number employed, both full-time and part-time, by local authorities and police forces in Great Britain was 2,696,672. In June 1973 the number employed was 2.698,936. Between these dates responsibility for a number of services was transferred from local authorities to regional water authorities and the National Health Service. Allowing for this change in the scope of local government services and consequently on staff numbers it is apparently estimated that there was a rise in numbers employed of around 100,000 during this period.