§ Mr. Carter-Jonesasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what is his policy on the employment of senior civil servants from his Department with a knowledge of medicines by a drug company; if he will list his powers to veto such appointments; if he will list the officers of his Department over the grade of principal officer formerly working in the medical division or supply division of his Department who have in each of the last five years left and subsequently worked for suppliers to the National Health Service; if he will list the companies employing such ex-departmental staff; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. Kenneth ClarkeIf a civil servant from our Department chooses to leave to take an appointment with a drug or any other company, we cannot veto this. The Official Secrets Acts continue to apply after civil servants leave the Department and protect official information.
The following officers over the grade of principal officer are known to have left DHSS in the years shown and sought approval to work for drug companies.
1983 None 1982 Assistant Secretary—1 1981 Assistant Secretary—2 1980 Senior Principal—1 1979 None Successive Administrations have taken the view that, in the interests of the privacy of individuals and of organisations, it would not be right to disclose details of individual cases.