asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what was the total number of staff employed at his Department's offices in the West Midlands in May 1979 and now; and if he will also give the changes in staffing levels in percentage terms.

Staff employment figures for local offices in the Department's former West Midlands region are as follows:

May 1979	October 1982	Percentage change
5,879	5,591	-5

The numbers given include staff working on the various contributory benefits; separate figures for staff working on supplementary benefits are not available. The figures exclude staff engaged on ancillary duties such as cleaners, messengers and security guards.