Oral Answers to Questions
Debate between Kevin Barron and Cathy Jamieson(12 years, 9 months ago)
Commons ChamberRead Full debate Read Hansard Text Read Debate Ministerial Extracts
Mr Kevin Barron (Rother Valley) (Lab)
1. If he will undertake an impact assessment on the effect of changes in resource for the civil service on delivery of Government policy.
Cathy Jamieson (Kilmarnock and Loudoun) (Lab/Co-op)
8. If he will undertake an impact assessment on the effect of changes in resource for the civil service on delivery of Government policy.
The Minister of State, Cabinet Office (Mr Oliver Letwin)
Our aim is to maintain the superb quality of our civil service while reducing its quantity. Under this Government the civil service headcount has come down from 487,000 to 435,000, which is smaller than it has been at any time since the second world war. Of course, this reduction helps to reduce the deficit, but it is also a natural consequence of our intention to reduce bureaucracy, improve public services and promote the big society by shifting power to people on the front line.