§ Mr. Dalyellasked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry why three under-secretary posts at the Export 289W Credits Guarantee Department are occupied by non-career civil servants from the private sector; and if he will state their previous experience.
§ Mr. ChannonThis is not the case. There are no non-career civil servants at under-secretary level in ECGD. But I intend that some appointments by secondment from the private sector should be made in due course, as I told my hon. Friend the Member for Harlow (Mr. Hayes) on 24 July 1985 at column570. An advertisement for one undersecretary post has appeared recently.