§ Mr. Simon HughesTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what guidance, other than the civil service pay and conditions of service code and the establishment officers' guide, his Department provides relating to civil servants' shareholdings; if he will list the number of occasions within the last five years on which civil servants have reported shareholdings to establishment officers in his Department; what regulations apply to the staff of the next steps agencies within his Department; what mechanisms are in place to prevent potential conflicts of interest; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. Kenneth ClarkeThe Home Office staff handbook includes specific advice on shareholdings by staff, covering the issues of potential conflict of interest and the provisions of the Companies Securities (Insider Dealing) Act 1985 and the Financial Securities Act 1986. Further advice on the general principles of conduct and the need to avoid any conflicts between official duty and private interests is also included in the handbook. The handbook is issued to all non-industrial staff, and its provisions apply equally to staff in Home Office agencies. No cases have been recorded in the past five years of staff reporting shareholdings to personnel management units in the Home Office.