§ Mr. MorganTo ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, pursuant to his answer of 20 April,Official Report, column 223, what assessment he has made of the effect on the outcome of the market testing exercise for the supply of occupational health and safety services at AWE Aldermaston, Burghfield, Cardiff and Foulness, of the availability of privileged information from the senior medical officer in the civil service occupational health and safety agency at Aldermaston as a director of the successful bidder company. [21078]
§ Mr. HoramAs both Hunting BRAE Ltd.—trading as AWE—and Trident Medical Services Ltd., the successful bidder company, operate in the private sector and the officer concerned has left the public service, no such assessment can be made.
§ Mr. MorganTo ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, pursuant to his answer of 20 April,Official Report, column 223, what permission was (a) sought and 740W (b) granted by the permanent secretary of the Cabinet Office to the former senior medical officer at the civil service occupational health and safety agency Aldermaston to act as a director of Trident Medical Services in providing health and safety services to the Ministry of Defence Atomic Weapons Establishment plc, and what post-resignation quarantine period applies to civil servants of his grade with respect to acting for companies trading with his previous employer department. [21077]
§ Mr. HoramNo permission was sought or granted while the officer was serving with the OHSA. Within two years of leaving, a former civil servant of his grade must obtain approval before taking up an appointment if the following circumstances apply: if they have had any official dealings with their prospective employer during the last two years of Crown employment; if they have had official dealings of a continued or repeated nature with their prospective employer at any time during their period of Crown employment; if they have had access to commercially sensitive information of competitors of their prospective employer in the course of their official duties; or if, during the last two years of Crown employment, their official duties have involved advice or decisions benefiting that prospective employer, for which the offer of employment could be interpreted as reward, or have involved developing policy, knowledge of which might be of benefit to the prospective employer. The former officer concerned has been reminded of his obligations. Applications are considered on a case-by-case basis; there are no automatic or standard post-resignation quarantine periods at this level.
§ Mr. MorganTo ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, pursuant to his answer of 20 April,Official Report, column 223, if he will list the sanctions available, in cases where serving senior civil servants form companies for the purposes of bidding for contracts in market-testing exercises; and if he will specify which of those sanctions apply to (a) those civil servants and (b) the companies which they helped to form, whether successful or otherwise in market-testing competition. [21076]
§ Mr. HoramServing civil servants are required to seek permission before seeking any outside employment which might affect their work directly or indirectly; where a conflict of interest arises, they must declare their personal interest. Civil servants dealing with procurement or contracts work must report any approach offering employment whether or not they are considering taking it up. Breaches of these rules can lead to disciplinary action, with penalties up to and including dismissal. Civil servants must also observe the rules on business appointments after leaving the civil service. Companies seeking government business might wish to consider the propriety of sanctioning breaches of rules governing the conduct of serving and former civil servants.