asked the Minister for the Civil Service if he will publish the most recent figures of the number of civil servants.

There were 745,120 civil servants in post on 1st January 1976.This figure includes 20,862 staff employed by the Manpower Services Commission and its agencies who became civil servants with effect from 1st January 1976 under the provisions of the Employment Protection Act 1975.The remainder of the Civil Service increased by 5,113 over the previous quarter, mainly on account of additional staff in the Inland Revenue and, as a result of increased unemployment, in the Department of Health and Social Security and the Department of Employment.