§ Mr. AllenTo ask the Prime Minister, (1) if he will include in the definition of civil servants he is prepared to authorise to meet Opposition parties, six months prior to an election, the chief executives and senior officers of the agencies;
(2) if he will list the grades of civil servant which he will agree to authorise to consult Opposition parties on policy matters six months prior to an election.
§ The Prime MinisterI do not intend to specify grades or positions.
§ Mr. AllenTo ask the Prime Minister, further to his reply of 27 November,Official Report, column 527, on Opposition parties consulting civil servants on organisational changes resulting from Opposition policies, if he is now prepared to supply information on the current organisa-tion of Departments.
§ The Prime MinisterSuch information is already in the public domain.
§ Mr. AllenTo ask the Prime Minister on what basis Her Majesty's Government's Cabinet Secretary met the shadow Cabinet last week; and if he will make a statement.
§ The Prime MinisterThe meeting was held in confidence and with my authority to provide a briefing on civil service matters.
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§ Mr. AllenTo ask the Prime Minister what are the conventions and guidance whereby civil service depart-ments brief and induct Ministers on their first day in office.
§ The Prime MinisterThere are no specific conventions or guidance.
§ Mr. AllenTo ask the Prime Minister if, pursuant to his answer of 27 November,Official Report, column 527–28, to the right hon. Member for Manchester, Wythenshawe (Mr. Morris), he will give the dates prior to the 1983 and 1987 general elections when Opposition parties were authorised to have contacts with senior civil servants; when the convention on Opposition parties consulting the civil service six months prior to an election was last used; and if he will make a statement on the procedure.
§ The Prime MinisterAs these elections were called more than six months before the five-year term of Parliament would have expired, no question of authorisation before the election period arose. A statement on the procedure was made to the House by the then Prime Minister on 21 April 1970. The statement referred to meetings in July 1964. The convention has been operated only in or immediately before subsequent election periods.