§ 49. Mr. David Priceasked the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he will institute a comprehensive scheme of temporary secondment between civil servants in his Department and local government officers in order to widen the experience and mutual comprehension of civil servants and local government officers.
§ Mr. ShoreI have sympathy with the hon. Member's objective, but I doubt whether a scheme on the lines suggested is the way to achieve it. The cost would be considerable and not something I could accept at the present time. My Department will continue to seek staff exchanges with individual local authorities where these would be beneficial to both.