§ Mr. MorganTo ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what guidelines he has established for the use of non-disclosure agreements as part of redundancy and early retirement settlements in the public service; if he will set up a study into how many former officials of non-departmental public bodies have signed such agreements in such circumstances; and what premium was paid to them for signing such agreements; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. PortilloEmployees generally have an implied duty not to misuse confidential information which they have 551W obtained in the course of their employment. In most situations, this would restrict disclosure of confidential information without proper authority. The duty continues to apply even after they have left.
There are no central guidelines or instructions which require former employees of non-departmental public bodies not to disclose the terms of their redundancy or early retirement settlements. My right hon. Friend has no plans to set up a study of the kind suggested. I should not expect redundancy or early retirement arrangements to include an agreement restricting disclosure of the terms of any financial settlement. Details of such settlements will in any event be available to the Comptroller and Auditor General in the course of any audit or inspection he undertakes of a body's records.