§ Q7. Mr. Wyattasked the Prime Minister whether he will explain the reasons for the recent changes in appointments of senior civil servants.
§ The Prime MinisterThe present Joint Permanent Secretaries to the Treasury, one of whom is also Secretary of the Cabinet, will both be retiring shortly. It is necessary to fill the vacancies thus created.
§ Mr. WyattWhy does not the Prime Minister give the real reason for the sacking and superseding of some of these civil servants, which is, of course, that they were responsible for the disastrous economic policy of the Government which led to the sacking of the Ministers as well? Would it not be a good thing to give up this farce of pretending that senior civil servants do not greatly influence Government policy and introduce something on the American model whereby more effective civil servants can be brought in to take the place of those who are tired and useless?
§ The Prime MinisterIf I may say so —I hope that the House will forgive me —I much resent these attacks upon the leading members of the Civil Service. What is said about Ministers does not matter; they can defend themselves. Sir Norman Brook, who has served the country as well as any other servant has ever served it, in peace and war, is about to retire on reaching the age limit at the end of the year, and I deeply resent an attack upon him.
§ Mr. G. BrownMay I say that I do not always agree with the Prime Minister as against my hon. Friend the Member for Bosworth (Mr. Wyatt), but that on this occasion I do and, on behalf of the incoming Administration, may I say that we totally welcome the new appointments?
§ The Prime MinisterWhen the right hon. Gentleman has arranged his alliance no doubt he will be all right.
§ Mr. WyattWould not the Prime Minister agree that in formulating particularly economic policy senior civil servants at the Treasury have a very great influence indeed in determining what that policy is and bearing it down upon the incumbent Chancellor of the Exchequer? If the policy is so wrong that the Chancellor of the Exchequer has to go, it also implicates those senior civil servants who recommended it.
§ The Prime MinisterThe hon. Member is making his case worse. Sir Frank Lee, an equally distinguished civil servant, who has served us well in peace and war, was about to resign towards the end of the year in order to take up at the end of his Civil Service life an important appointment in Cambridge. It therefore became necessary to make a new appointment. But we really must protect the position of our civil servants in this matter, which is the very foundation of our Parliamentary and democratic government.
§ Mr. GaitskellAs I happen to know the gentlemen in question personally, may I say that not only do I agree with the Prime Minister on the point of principle, but that we should pay tribute to the service rendered by Sir Norman Brook and Sir Frank Lee, and that for my part I warmly welcome the new appointments which have been made?