HC Deb 31 May 1960 vol 624 c1155
4. Sir Richard Glyn

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government and Minister for Welsh Affairs whether he will consider issuing a circular to local authorities stressing the importance of not requiring or inducing technical officers in their employ to give expert evidence at public inquiries, other than in accordance with their professional opinion.

Mr. H. Brooke

I do not think that it would be right for me to interfere in this way in the relations between local authorities and their officers.

Sir R. Glyn

Does not my right hon. Friend agree that it is very undesirable for local authorities to expect their officers to give evidence in such cases, because an officer is put in the position of either offending his employer or, perhaps, having to mislead the court as to what he really thinks? Is my right hon. Friend aware that there is considerable anxiety about this, as was shown in the long correspondence recently published in The Times?

Mr. Brooke

I do not think that there is as much practical difficulty about this as that correspondence would indicate. Of course, the officer is not just in the position of an expert witness; he is also the confidential adviser of the council. What I do agree is that he should not be required to disclose what advice he has given to the authority which he serves.