§ Mr. Spearingasked the Prime Minister if he will consider changing the required period between senior civil servants' retirement from public service to their appointment to commercial bodies from three months to three years.
§ The Prime MinisterI have no plans to do so.
§ Mr. Spearingasked the Prime Minister how many references he has made to the Diamond committee on applications from home civil servants for outside appointments; how many such applications have been approved; and how many have not been approved.
§ The Prime MinisterI have referred applications in respect of 10 home civil servants to the advisory committee. All of these applications have been approved except one on which no decision has yet been reached.