§ Sir John Biggs-Davisonasked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what is the policy of Her Majesty's Government regarding the employment in the Province of officials not of the Northern Ireland public service.
§ Mr. Tom KingThe Northern Ireland Office is a United Kingdom Department of state staffed by the Home Civil Service and the Northern Ireland Civil Service. There is a close working relationship between the two services; officers are interchanged wherever appropriate, in the interests of increasing mutual understanding and of extending the range of skills and experience of individual officers.
§ Sir John Biggs-Davisonasked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will list the officials of, and seconded from, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office now serving in Northern Ireland, together with their duties.
§ Mr. Tom KingIt has been regular practice to second to the Northern Ireland Office officials from other Government Departments, including the Foreign and Commonwealth Office. However, it is not our practice to name such officials and to indicate their parent Departments or the specific duties to which they have been assigned.