§ Mr. Skinnerasked the Prime Minister (1) what are the current limits on the value of gifts received by Ministers in their official capacity which they may retain personally; and what happens to gifts surrendered by Ministers on the grounds that they are valued in excess of the limit;
(2) if she will list all the gifts she has received in her official capacity since 1979; and if she will list those which she has not retained personally on the grounds that their value is in excess of the permitted limit.
§ The Prime MinisterThe current limit for the value of gifts which Ministers may retain is £75. The rules governing disposal of gifts of higher value, of which Ministers are advised when taking office, are similar to those governing the acceptance of gifts by civil servants, which are contained in the Civil Service Pay and Conditions Code (paragraph 9882 to 9893), a copy of which is in the Library.
I regret that information on the numbers of gifts I have received since 1979 could only be provided at disproportionate cost.