§ Mr. Arthur Lewisasked the Minister for the Civil Service whether he will institute a practice whereby when civil servants give wrong advice or neglect their duties, involving the taxpayer in huge losses, such as the Crown Agents case and the Clegg inquiry, and so on, they should be charged for their neglect or made to pay a contribution towards their maladministration and neglect.
§ Mr. ChannonIt is already Civil Service policy, in accordance with the practice of other good employers, to deal with cases according to their gravity and nature. No standard practice therefore applies to individual inefficiency or misconduct, although in certain circumstances financial penalties are available. This necessarily depends on individuals first being held blameworthy.