§ Mr. W. Brownasked the Minister of Town and Country Planning in what circumstances, and for what purpose, members of his staff have been asked to give information as to what associations they are members of, what is the purpose of the associations, and what part they play in them, etc?
§ Mr. H. StraussThe request to which the hon. Member refers was made by personal and confidential letter not to all members of the staff, but only to officers in the administrative and technical grades. Some of these officers who had recently joined the Department had asked for advice as to how far they could properly continue to take part in the activities of outside associations concerned with planning. The purpose of the request was to inform the Department of the facts and so to make it possible to decide whether any general instructions need be issued.