§ 2. Mr. WinnickTo ask the Deputy Prime Minister on what Government Committees he currently sits. [1298]
§ The Deputy Prime MinisterI am a member of 15 Cabinet Committees, five of which I chair.
§ Mr. WinnickWhich of those Committees deals with relations with the civil service? Did not the Deputy Prime Minister want civil servants to become involved in Government and Conservative party matters, but the Cabinet Secretary, rightly, vetoed that initiative? Does that not demonstrate once again that we have a sleaze-ridden and politically corrupt Administration? The Government are loathed in the country and Cromwell's words to the Rump Parliament could not be more appropriate to them.
§ The Deputy Prime MinisterThe hon. Gentleman asked four questions. The answer to the first, second, third and fourth is no.
§ Mr. DunnCan my right hon. Friend confirm whether any of the Committees on which he sits is concerned with 3 the appointment of special advisers to Government Departments? Did not the Labour Government introduce special advisers to politicise the civil service?
§ The Deputy Prime MinisterThe worst and most excessive example of the politicisation of the civil service was the appointment of a Labour party sympathiser as chief press officer at No. 10 Downing street—a precedent that is likely to lead to Mr. Alastair Campbell being considered for the post if ever a Labour Government are re-elected.
§ Mr. RadiceDoes the Deputy Prime Minister accept that his memo to the Prime Minister of 24 July broke the spirit and the letter of the civil service code that was first proposed by an all-party Select Committee?
§ The Deputy Prime MinisterIt certainly did not. It left open the question of how Ministers should address the issue covered in the memorandum. I agreed with Sir Robin Butler that it should be done through special advisers, and quite rightly so. I would never tolerate the politicisation of the civil service.
Mr. Robert G. HughesWill my right hon. Friend confirm that, during the life of the last Labour Government, the main question would not have been accepted by the Table Office and he would not have been allowed to answer it? It was only this Government who admitted the existence of Cabinet Committees, published "Questions of Procedure for Ministers" and consistently acted to protect the neutrality of the civil service.
§ The Deputy Prime MinisterMy hon. Friend makes a searching point, but the last Labour Government were so long ago that my memory is blurred on the subject.
§ Mr. BeithHave any of those Committees discussed the reported plan to send Conservative central office press officers with the Prime Minister on his regional tours? Although the Deputy Prime Minister might defend that plan as ensuring that civil servants do not have to do the political work that the Prime Minister wants to be done, does it not suggest that those tours are electoral campaigning at public expense?
§ The Deputy Prime MinisterThe Prime Minister is meticulous in keeping a clear division between his political and his party obligations.
§ Mr. DuncanWill the Deputy Prime Minister confirm that he brings to Cabinet Committees an unparalleled experience of business? Does that not contrast with the shadow Chancellor, who, in claiming that he has a family experience of business, is telling the country an almighty whopper?
§ The Deputy Prime MinisterI must say that, over the years, I have learnt to respect the shadow Chancellor's mother in those matters, rather than the shadow Chancellor himself.
§ Mr. PrescottIs the Deputy Prime Minister aware of any other incidents that threaten the impartiality of civil servants? Is he aware of his memorandum to the Prime Minister of 24 July, which was signed by him and which 4 shows that, far from being the person who sorted out the scandal of civil servants being used for party political purposes, he was the man who had the idea to begin with? Is not the truth that the Deputy Prime Minister was caught red-handed trying to subvert the impartiality of the civil service? Instead of ducking, diving and dodging, why does he not pluck up the courage to apologise?
§ The Deputy Prime MinisterThe right hon. Gentleman knows full well that that is a travesty of the truth. The fact is that the memorandum to which he refers makes it clear that Ministers would consider how to ensure that the policies of the Government were best understood—they would decide themselves how that should happen. Sir Robin Butler and I discussed whether it was appropriate for the civil service or for special advisers to be the instruments through which that happened and—rightly so—I agreed with Sir Robin that special advisers were the correct route.
The right hon. Gentleman should be very clear on this point: I will not, and no Minister will, tolerate the politicisation of the civil service in this country. The right hon. Gentleman asked me a straight question: do I know of any other example? I reply in kind: if he can give me another example, I will act to stop it.