§ Mr. Simon HughesTo ask the Secretary of State for Employment what guidance, other than the civil service pay and conditions of service code and the establishment officers' guide, her Department provides relating to civil servants' shareholdings; if she will list the number of occasions within the last five years on which civil servants have reported shareholdings to establishment officers in her Department; what regulations apply to the staff of the next steps agencies within her Department; what mechanisms are in place to prevent potential conflicts of interest; and if she will make a statement.
§ Mr. McLoughlinThe Department of Employment group personnel handbook and the Employment Service personnel handbook give the following specific and identical guidance on dealings in securities and other assets. Staff must not use or appear to use their official position for personal gain. They must not buy or sell something when, as a civil servant, they have information concerning its value which is not publicly known. They should also avoid dealing in an asset at a time when their official activities involve them in giving advice, or taking decisions which may affect its value.
Comprehensive information is not readily available on the number of occasions on which staff have reported shareholdings to established officers.