asked the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he will bring up to date the table of staffing of the Building Research Establishment given in the reply by the Under-Secretary of State for the Environment the hon. Member for Hampstead (Mr. Finsberg) on 17 July 1979; what is the current shortfall of staff in post compared with the authorised complement (a) overall and (b) in the science category; and what is the proposed staffing establishment for the current financial year.
The complement and staff in post figures are given below. The proposed complement is 811 for 1 April 1980, reducing to 789 by 1 April 1981, but this is subject to review in the light of the further manpower savings to be made in 1980–81 in connection with the recent Civil Service pay settlement. The shortfall of staff in post compared with complement at 1 April 1980 was 50 in the science group and 48 overall.
Complement 1 April 1980
| Staff in post 1 April 1980
| |||||
| Administration Group | ||||||
| Principal | … | … | … | … | 1 | 1 |
| SEO | … | … | … | … | 2 | 1 |
| HEO | … | … | … | … | 7 | 7 |
| EO | … | … | … | … | 15 | 17 |
| CO | … | … | … | … | 68 | 66½ |
| CA | … | … | … | … | 17 | 12½ |
| 110 | 105 | |||||
| Information Officers | ||||||
| Senior Information Officers | … | … | … | … | 1 | 1 |
| Information Officers | … | … | … | … | 3 | 3 |
| Assistant Information Officers | … | … | … | … | 2 | 2 |
| 6 | 6 | |||||
| Graphics Officers | ||||||
| Graphics Officer III | … | … | … | … | 1 | 2 |
| Graphics Officer IV | … | … | … | … | 3 | 1 |
| Drawing Office Assistant | … | … | … | … | 5 | 5 |
| Tracer | … | … | … | … | 1 | 1 |
| 10 | 9 | |||||
| Personal Secretaries and Typists | ||||||
| Senior Personal Secretary | … | … | … | … | 1 | 1 |
| Personal Secretary | … | … | … | … | 19 | 20 |
| Senior Superintendent of Typists | … | … | … | … | 1 | 1 |
| Superintendent of Typists | … | … | … | … | 2 | 2 |
| Typists | … | … | … | … | 20 | 20 |
| 43 | 44 | |||||
| Photographers | ||||||
| Chief Photographer | … | … | … | … | 1 | 1 |
| Principal Photographer | … | … | … | … | 3 | 3 |
| Senior Photographer | … | … | … | … | 6 | 8 |
| Photographer | … | … | … | … | 2 | — |
| Assistant Photographer | … | … | … | … | — | 1 |
| 12 | 13 | |||||
| Other grades | ||||||
| Assistant Chief Photoprinter | … | … | … | … | 1 | 1 |
| Photoprinter I | … | … | … | … | 3 | 3 |
| Photoprinter II | … | … | … | … | 7 | 6½ |
| Senior Data Processor | … | … | … | … | 4 | 4 |
| Data Processor | … | … | … | … | 18 | 18 |
| Trainee Data Processor | … | … | … | … | — | — |
| Paperkeeper | … | … | … | … | 1 | — |
| Senior Messenger | … | … | … | … | 2 | 2 |
| Messenger | … | … | … | … | 4 | 6½ |
| Telephonists | … | … | … | … | 6 | 6 |
| Laboratory Attendant | … | … | … | … | — | 1 |
| 46 | 48 | |||||
| Total | … | … | … | … | 811 | 763 |
asked the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he will make a statement on the level of staff morale at the Building Research Establishment; and if he will take steps to improve it.
I visited the Building Research Establishment last February, when I had discussions with both senior management and the local staff side. I am mindful of the inevitable uncertainties which arise as the initial result of manpower reductions and the adverse effects that these can have on staff morale. BRE is not immune to this but I am confident of the staff's determination to continue to carry out high-quality work and also of senior management's commitment to maintaining BRE's reputation and creating conditions in which essential building and construction research can flourish.