asked the Minister for the Public Service the total number of posts suppressed or left unfilled since the introduction of the Government's `one-in-three' recruitment embargo; if he has any plans to drop the embargo; if the embargo has affected the recruitment of persons with disabilities; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
Written Answers. - Civil Service Recruitment Embargo.
16.
The total number of posts suppressed or left unfilled under the Government's "one-in-three" recruitment embargo is just over 3,000.
Arrangements are in train to replace the embargo by a system under which the overall staffing level to be reached by each Department a year hence will be determined. The levels to be achieved by end-1986 will, I expect, be fixed very soon.
There is no evidence to suggest that the embargo has adversely affected the rate of recruitment of disabled persons relative to the overall level of recruitment.