§ Mr. Richard Shepherdasked the Secretary of State for Trade if any civil servant in his Department has, as his duties or part of his duties, responsibility for promoting or preparing a pro-European Economic Community case; and if more than one, how many.
§ Mr. ParkinsonCivil servants in my Department have the same range of responsibilities in relation to the Government's policy towards the European Community as they have in relation to the Government's policy in other areas. This may sometimes involve the preparation of material designed to explain the Government's policy. It is not possible to estimate what proportion of their time is spent on this function in relation to the Community.