§ Mr. Arthur Lewisasked the Prime Minister if he will publish the general rules concerning the acceptance by Ministers and civil servants of gifts given to them by virtue of the public offices which they hold; and if he will make a statement on the relaxation of the rules in the case of the Secretary of State for Defence and his civil servants, details of which have been supplied to him.
The Prime MiniserIt is a well-established rule that no Minister or public servant should accept gifts which would, or might appear to, place him or her under an obligation. The detailed rules governing the acceptance of gifts by civil servants are contained in the Civil Service Pay and Conditions of Service Code (paragraphs 9882 to 9893) a copy of which is in the Library. Similar rules apply to Ministers. There has been no relaxation of the rules in the case of the Secretary of State for Defence or of civil servants in the Ministry of Defence.