asked the Minister of Public Building and Works what was the non-industrial strength of his Department in the United Kingdom on 1st January, 1963, and at the latest convenient date.

9,836 on 1st January, 1963, and 19,228 on 1st October, 1964.

These are pretty startling figures and show a very large increase. Is the Minister aware that there have been some misgivings expressed by the Services in recent months as to a lack of drive and efficiency on the part of the former Service works departments now amalgamated under his Ministry? In addition to the, no doubt, important work which he has to do in connection with accommodation in this Palace, will the right hon. Gentleman see that Service works are carried forward as quickly as possible?

The hon. Gentleman could not have heard. I gave him the figures up to 1st October, 1964, which was a fortnight before we arrived. He will know that the rise in numbers is accounted for mainly by the merger on 1st April, 1963, under my predecessor, of the old Ministry of Public Building and Works and the works organisations of the Service Departments, and, to a lesser extent, by the setting up of the Directorate-General of Research and Development. I am aware of the discontents of some people, particularly in the Service Ministries, and I have seen the references to them in the Press. In the time that I have had at my disposal, I have made as deep a study as I could of this matter. I think that the hon. Gentleman's criteria will be met, and we are making progress.

I appreciate the reasons for the increase, but does not the right hon. Gentleman expect, now that he has Service building integrated under one roof, that there will be possibilities of improved efficiency and, hence, of economies in staff? What are his expectations in this respect?

To start with, most of the difficulties arise largely because some of the staff concerned do not like the economies. The right hon. Gentleman will appreciate that. While the staff has roughly doubled in numbers, annual expenditure on works services in the United Kingdom has increased from £45 million to about £180 million, a fourfold increase. Of course, some staff employed in the United Kingdom are engaged on works being executed overseas.