§ Mr. Eggarasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will list the professional and other qualifications of the principal finance officer and principal establishment officer for his Department.
§ Mr. Peter WalkerBoth my principal finance officer and my principal establishment officer are graduates and are administrators by profession. My principal finance officer took a degree in economics and as an assistant secretary served in both the Department of Economic Affairs and Her Majesty's Treasury, including substantial periods as Director of the Centre for Administrative Studies and as head of a public expenditure division. After a period as under secretary in charge of the Ministry's meat group—with direct responsibility for beef and sheep390W guarantees and hill livestock compensatory allowances—he became principal finance officer. He has attended courses on computing and company accounts.
As a principal in the Forestry Commission and as an assistant secretary in charge of the Ministry's then Yorkshire and Lancashire region my principal establishment officer was involved in establishments work and in the latter job carried major management responsibilities. Before being appointed principal establishment officer he was an under secretary and resident chairman at the Civil Service selection board. He has attended courses on staff reporting, management, interviewing techniques, computing and industrial relations.