§ SIR GEORGE CAMPBELLasked the First Lord of the Treasury, Whether the Treasury Minute of 27th March 1849, on the subject of the acceptance by Civil Servants of directorships of companies and the like, has been strictly enforced; whether the principles in regard to the same subject, more precisely set forth in the letter from the Treasury to the Home Department of 6th April 1878, have been put into practice in the Treasury and Home Offices, and in any other Departments; and, whether it is to be understood that before another Session of Parliament the whole subject of extra-official occupations of Civil Servants will be reconsidered with a view to the settlement of definite rules for the whole Civil Service?
MR. GLADSTONEThe answer to the Question of the hon. Member is very simple. As to the first paragraph, it appears to me that in the Treasury the rule has been strictly observed; but in the other Departments I am not able to say that it has been observed with equal strictness; but I may refer my hon. Friend to a Return made in May, 1880, giving the names of certain Civil servants who are Directors of Trading Companies. With regard to the prospective part of the Question, in the third paragraph, I have already stated that this subject has had the very particular attention of the Permanent Secretary to the Treasury, who happened, just before the question was raised, to have left London on his much-needed vacation; and I propose to wait until his return before taking any further steps in the matter.