§ Mr. Bruce-Gardyneasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many civil servants from his Department have applied for permission to take up employment in firms with which the Government have a relationship or where the prospective employers might obtain an unfair advantage from knowledge obtained during their service, over the past 10 years; and on how many occasions such approval has been withheld.
§ Lord BalnielSuch permission has been sought under diplomatic service regulations by three officers since the Foreign and Commonwealth Office was established in 1968. After careful examination approval was granted on each occasion, although in two cases not until a period of six months had elapsed after the officer's retirement.