HC Deb 13 July 1948 vol 453 cc991-3
18. Mr. Manningham-Buller

asked the Secretary of State for War the grounds on which disciplinary action has been or is proposed to be taken against a civil servant, Mr. F. Tuck.

Mr. Shinwell

This civil servant made a complaint to the hon. and learned Member about the operation of the promotion rules in the War Department, as a result of which he had been replaced by a junior, and in his own view his prospects of promotion had accordingly been prejudiced.

It is a firmly established rule, and one well understood throughout the Civil Service, that promotion in the Service must neither depend, nor even appear to depend, upon influence brought to bear from outside the Service. This rule is embodied in the regulations which govern the administration of War Department civilian staff. In these regulations it is laid down that any attempt on the part of an employee to secure promotion by bringing any indirect influence to bear in his support will be regarded as an admission that the case is not deserving of consideration on its merits, and will be treated as an offence against discipline. In seeking the hon. and learned Member's support for his claim, this civil servant has committed a disciplinary offence. It is for this reason that he is being reprimanded.

Mr. Manningham-Buller

Is the right hon. Gentleman aware that this civil servant did not write seeking to secure promotion, but, as the letter which I received from the Financial Secretary to the War Office says, complaining that he had to relinquish that promotion? In those circumstances will the right hon. Gentleman reconsider the matter?

Mr. Shinwell

If the person concerned wrote about relinquishing his promotion, obviously he had the same object in view, and all that I have to say is that there is a recognised procedure for dealing with these matters. There is the Whitley Council, and if the person referred to had any grievance he could have put the matter before his side of the Whitley Council for consideration.

Mr. Manningham-Buller

Is the right hon. Gentleman complaining because this civil servant wrote to his Member of Parliament?

Mr. Shinwell

I am most certainly complaining that this civil servant wrote to a Member of Parliament seeking the influence of the Member of Parliament in connection with his promotion.

Mr. Gammans

Is it not a fact that a man in uniform can write to his Member of Parliament on any subject, and would the same action have been taken against this man had he been a soldier?

Mr. Shinwell

It is well understood that a soldier has a right to write to his Member of Parliament and state his grievance, if he has one, but in the case of the serving man he has not got either trade unions or a Whitley Council at his disposal.

Mr. Godfrey Nicholson

This is very important, and I merely put this question for information: Is the right hon. Gentleman laying it down as a definite statement of principle that no civil servant is able to write to a Member of Parliament about his position and conditions of employment?

Mr. Shinwell

I most certainly am not, but what I am saying is that no civil servant should write to a Member of Parliament seeking to use the influence of a Member of Parliament in a matter of promotion.

Mr. W. J. Brown

While recognising and fully endorsing what the Minister has said about the impropriety of an individual civil servant seeking to secure promotion by outside influence—a point upon which all civil servants' trade unions are utterly at one with the Government—may I ask the Secretary of State for War two questions: whether he will distinguish sharply between a letter from an individual civil servant seeking outside help to get promotion and a letter from a civil servant to any Member of Parliament voicing grievances of the public service; and, secondly, will he distinguish between the effort to secure promotion and to avoid de-motion, because I understand that that may be involved in this case?

Mr. Shinwell

I have already made the distinction.

Mr. Manningham-Buller

While I recognise that it would be a wrong thing to seek to secure promotion by means of writing to a Member of Parliament, in view of the unsatisfactory reply to the Question, and also because this civil servant did not seek promotion, I beg to give notice that I shall raise the matter on the Adjournment.