asked the Prime Minister, pursuant to the reply given to the hon. Member for Norfolk, North on 10 April 1984, Official Report, column 154, if she will compare the amount and percentage by which the Civil Service has been reduced, with manpower changes throughout the United Kingdom in (a) local government, (b) the National Health Service, (c) nationalised industries and (d) all other persons in receipt of payment of any kind including allowances, engaged in the public sector, including those listed in "Public Bodies 1984" for each year since 1979.
The available information is as follows:
| Wages, salaries, etc. of public sector | |||||
| 1979 £ million | 1980 £ million | 1981 £ million | 1982 £ million | 1983 £ million | |
| Local authorities | 12,440 | 15,544 | 17,888 | 19,200 | 21,199 |
| National Health Service | 4,677 | 6,312 | 7,344 | 7,513 | 8,618 |
Thousands headcount*
| |||
'000
| Change '000
| per cent.
| |
| Civil Service | |||
| 1979 | 739 | ||
| 1980 | 714 | –24 | –3·3 |
| 1981 | 698 | –17 | –2·3 |
| 1982 | 671 | –27 | –3·8 |
| 1983 | 654 | –18 | –2·6 |
| 1984 | 630 | –24 | –3·6 |
| Local authorities | |||
| 1979 | 2,997 | ||
| 1980 | 2,956 | –41 | –1·4 |
| 1981 | 2,899 | –57 | –1·9 |
| 1982 | 2,865 | –34 | –1·2 |
| 1983 | 2,879 | +14 | +0·5 |
| 1984 | 2,884 | +5 | +0·2 |
| National Health Service | |||
| 1979 | 1,152 | ||
| 1980 | 1,174 | +22 | –1·9 |
| 1981 | 1,207 | +33 | +2·8 |
| 1982 | 1,227 | +20 | +1·7 |
| 1983 | 1,227 | — | +0·0 |
| 1984 | 1,223 | –4 | –0·3 |
| Nationalised industries† | |||
| 1979 | 1,726 | ||
| 1980 | 1,697 | –29 | –1·7 |
| 1981 | 1,618 | –79 | –4·7 |
| 1982 | 1,540 | –78 | –4·8 |
| 1983 | 1,465 | –75 | –4·9 |
| 1984 | 1,416 | –49 | –3·3 |
| Other public sector† | |||
| 1979 | 678 | ||
| 1980 | 694 | +16 | +2·4 |
| 1981 | 691 | –3 | –0·4 |
| 1982 | 675 | –16 | –2·3 |
| 1983 | 679 | +4 | +0·6 |
| 1984 | 677 | –2 | –0·3 |
* The figures shown relate to the mid-points of the years shown. Reductions and percentage changes are based on unrounded figures. | |||
| † To provide figures on a comparable basis, the public corporations figures exclude employees of corporations which were privatised bCore June 1984. | |||
Sources: March 1985 Economic Trends pages 91 to 99 and Her Majesty's Treasury.
asked the Prime Minister what was the estimated total expenditure in 1984–85 and for each year since 1979 for each of (a) local government, (b) the National Health Service, (c) nationalised industries and (d) all other persons in receipt of payment of any kind, including allowances, engaged in the public sector, including those listed in "Public Bodies 1984", separately, and in total, including all pay, allowances, payments of all kinds, national insurance, superannuation, and all costs related to the employment or appointment of staff within them.
The information is as follows:
1979 £ million
| 1980 £ million
| 1981 £ million
| 1982 £ million
| 1983 £ million
| |
| Public corporations | 12,753 | 15,143 | 16,205 | 17,211 | 17,755 |
| Her Majesty's Forces | 2,548 | 3,047 | 3,387 | 3,692 | 4,022 |
| Other central Government | 4,659 | 5,934 | 6,581 | 7,192 | 7,566 |
Source: United Kingdom National Accounts 1984 edition.
The figures shown above include wages, salaries, employers' contributions to national insurance and superannuation payments.
asked the Prime Minister how many staff in percentage and absolute terms have been removed from each of the following categories in each year since 1979 as a result of privatisation measures: (a) local government, (b) the National Health Service, (c) nationalised industries and (d) all other persons in receipt of payment of any kind, including allowances, engaged in the public sector, including those listed in "Public Bodies 1984".
Data on staff savings from contracting out in local government and the National Health Service are not collected centrally. From 1979 to mid-1984 privatisation of public corporations reduced public sector employment by some 115,000. Details are given on page 94 of the March 1985 issue of Economic
| Weekly rate at November 1984 £ | Weekly level of earnings at which basic benefit is extinguished £ | ||
| 1. Retirement Pension (RP) | |||
| * Category A | 35·80 | 107·80 | |
| * Category B (wife) | 21·50 | 93·50 | |
| † Category B (window) | 35·80 | ||
| † Age Addition (over 80) | 0·25 | ||
| † Non-contributory over 80's | |||
| pension | |||
| Higher rate | 21·50 | ||
| Lower rate | |||
| Adult Dependant | 12·85 | ||
| Age Addition (over 80) | 0·25 | ||
| 2. Widows' Benefits (WB) | |||
| † Widows' Allowance | 50·10 | ||
| † Widowed Mothers' Allowance | 35·80 | ||
| † Widows' Pension | 35·80 | ||
| 3. Invalidity Pension (IVP) | |||
| single | 34·25 | Any earnings | Small exception for permitted work with medical approval, earnings £23·50 |
| Invalidity allowance | |||
| Higher rate | 7·50 | ||
| Middle rate | 4·80 | ||
| Lower rate | 2·40 | ||
| 4. Unemployment Benefit (UB) | |||
| Under pension age single | 28·45 | 2·00 | On a daily basis |
| Over pension age single | 35·80 | 2·00 | On a daily basis |
| 5. Sickness Benefit (SB) | |||
| Under pension age single | 27·25 | Any earnings | Small exception for permitted work with medical approval, earnings £23·50 |
| Over pension age single | 35·25 | ||
| 6. Maternity Allowance (MA) | 27·25 | Any earnings | |
| 7. Attendance Allowance | |||
| † Higher rate | 28·60 | ||
| † Lower rate | 19·10 | ||
| 8. Severe Disablement Allowance (SDA) | |||
| † single | 21·50 | ||
| 9. Invalid Care Allowance(ICA) |
Trends. Privatisation of British Telecom plc in November 1984 reduced public sector employment by a further 240,000.
Between 1 April 1979 and 1 April 1984 the reduction in civil service numbers as a result of privatisation (including contracting out) was 17,000.