§ Mr. Gordon Brownasked the Prime Minister if she will list all the persons who have held appointment as personal advisers to Ministers since May 1979, together with details of their terms and conditions of employment; and whether in all cases these were in line with paragraphs 9870 and 9874 of the general principles of conduct for civil servants.
§ The Prime MinisterI assume that the hon. Member is concerned with personal appointments by Ministers of individuals to do specific jobs within departmental organisations, and not with appointments of special advisers or political advisers. Personal advisers of this kind are expected to observe similar principles of conduct to those laid down in the Civil Service code. The only appointment within this last category since May 1979 has been that of Mr. P. K. Levene in the Ministry of Defence, details of whose appointment have already been given by my hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Defence and are entirely in accordance with these general principles.