§ Mr. Gouldasked the Prime Minister what are the rules applicable to civil servants promoting the sale of British goods and services overseas, when members of their families are involved in a private capacity in such promotional activities.
§ The Prime MinisterThe rules are that civil servants must not subordinate their duty to their private interests; they must not put themselves in a position where their duty and their private interests conflict, and they must not make use of their official position to further those interests. An officer who comes into official contact with any matter concerning a business organisation in which he has an interest must disclose his interest to his Department. Subject to this, there are no specific restrictions on the outside business interests of civil servants. It is the implicit and well understood assumption that private interests may include those of a spouse. The rules which are especially relevant are at paragraphs 9870, 9874, 9875 and 9879 of the Civil Service Pay and conditions of Service Code, a copy of which is in the Library.