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Wednesday, February 24, 1971
Sir John drew attention to the very large increase in the size of
the civil service. For some years, the annual percentage increase in the
size of the civil service had been kept in the region of three per cent
after a period between 1960 and 1965 when it was increasing at nearer seven
per cent.
This year, the increase was almost eight per cent,and this more
rapid rise was due to two main factors. One was the increased momentum
generally in the expansion of public services and in the demands being
made on them, and the other was that the Government had made a determined
effort this year to deal with an accumulated backlog of departmental requests
for more staff, and to complete the reviews of the establishments of certain
major departments.
Sir John hoped the rate of growth would fall again next year,
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