Almost 80 per cent – or four out of five - of the Welsh government workforce are categorised as 'managers', according to figures obtained by the Welsh Conservatives.
4,189 (or 77 per cent) of the 5,424 civil servants employed by the Welsh government (as at the end of March this year) fall under management pay bands. 1,156 are classed as 'team support' and another 79 as 'other'.
Responding to a written question, the government states that 'all staff at Management Band 3 and above are categorised as managers, although it would be impossible to identify how many of these staff were managing other staff without reviewing every individual staff record.'
Managers are divided into 'management bands' 1, 2 and 3, 'executive bands' 1 and 2, and 'senior civil service'. By title or pay grade alone, there are four managers for every junior member of staff. However, the number that perform managerial duties remains inconclusive.
The number of staff earning between 44 and 162 thousand pounds per annum (executive bands 1 and 2, and the senior civil service band) stood at 936 in March. The total number of Welsh government staff has dropped from 6,479 in 2009 to 5,424 in 2012.
Leader of the Welsh Conservatives in the Assembly, Andrew RT Davies AM, said:
"Categorising almost 80 per cent of the Welsh Government workforce as 'managers' appears excessive and taxpayers will rightly question whether the civil service in Wales is top-heavy.
"That it is difficult to tell how many of these staff actually carry out management duties also calls this grading system into question.
"Even when the three lower management bands are excluded, 936 – or 17 per cent - of the government's staff earn salaries ranging from 44 to 162 thousand pounds. That will inevitably cause concern and deserves clarification of duties at the very least."
Shadow Minister for Finance, Paul Davies AM, said:
"If these figures are taken to their ultimate conclusion, there are four managers in the Welsh Government for every one junior member of staff. Even in title alone – that's unnecessarily extreme. If there is no way of telling how many actually manage staff, then there should be.
"A top-heavy workforce such as this will not help staff morale amongst others and there is clearly an argument to say that this method of grading needs to be looked at. While I appreciate some numbers have decreased, this remains a system that will give taxpayers cause for concern."
