HC Deb 24 October 1978 vol 955 cc763-4W
Mr. Lawson

asked the Minister for the Civil Service what are the guidelines for civil servants producing official governmental and departmental publications so that political bias is avoided.

Mr. Charles R. Morris

The exposition of Government policies and decisions is the responsibility of Ministers. There will, from time to time, be opportunities for civil servants to help in creating a better understanding of the way in which the processes of Government work and, in some instances, of the factual or technical background to Government policies or decisions. There will also be occasions when a civil servant can and should make a contribution to knowledge on the basis of specialised information and experience obtained in the course of his duties. Such activity, however, must not be such as to bring into question the impartiality of the Civil Service. These considerations apply to all ways of disseminating information about Government policies including the production of official publications.