asked the Secretary of State for Industry how many staff there are in the headquarters of his Department in the grade of (a) Deputy Secretary, (b) Assistant Secretary and (c) Principal.

Following are the figures for staff in post in the headquarters of my Department on 1st January 1975:

(a) Deputy Secretary	9
(b) Assistant Secretary	53
(c) Principal	143

The figures include four Deputy Secretaries, 12 Assistant Secretaries and 47 Principals in the establishments, finance, economics and statistics and other divisions in the Department of Industry which provide a common service to the Departments of Trade, and Prices and Consumer Protection.