"The Economy Drive" is the third episode of the BBC comedy series Yes Minister and was first broadcast 10 March 1980. This episode, unlike many others, does not end with the phrase ' Yes Minister '.

A despondent Jim Hacker listens with Bernard as his political advisor, Frank Weisel, reads a damning press report detailing a series of government inefficiencies. When Sir Humphrey Appleby arrives, Hacker immediately demands a slimming down of his department. Sir Humphrey argues that its staff is "small", numbering some 23,000. When Hacker suggests a time and motion study, his Permanent Secretary admits that they had undergone such an exercise the previous year — resulting in the recruitment of 500 extra staff. Sir Humphrey suggests that closing Hacker's "bureaucratic watchdog" office would represent a start, but the Minister won't entertain the idea, as it is the one thing he's been able to achieve so far. Hacker insists that Sir Humphrey provides a complete inventory of all the department's staff and buildings, and the civil servant leaves "fully seized" of his Minister's aims. However, Weisel informs Hacker that the north-west Regional Controller has achieved cuts of £32 million in his region — and that the civil service has suppressed it, in case anyone else is forced to make similar savings. Hacker is astonished and instructs Weisel to "ferret around".

Later, Sir Humphrey speaks with Bernard and concedes that he knew about the cutbacks, but is annoyed that the information had got out. When Bernard questions the need for such staffing requirements, Sir Humphrey elucidates him: a large department is the only way that success can be measured within the civil service. Therefore, it is the duty of every Permanent Secretary to convince his Minister to fight for the department's budget. When Bernard argues that the Minister is an MP who is democratically elected, Sir Humphrey points out that MPs have no training whatsoever, and it is up to the civil service to do the job for them. He also enquires about Weisel's investigative activities, and decides to furnish him with a government car in order to keep tabs on him.

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