§ Dr. WrightTo ask the Prime Minister how many applications have been made by civil servants who wish to leave Government for posts in the private sector in the past five years; and how many of these applications have been(a) accepted and (b) rejected.
§ The Prime MinisterComplete information is not available in the form requested. Most applicants are considered by Departments, and the information is not held centrally.
All applications by officers at grade 3 equivalent and above, and cases at grade 7 and above where there has been contact with the prospective employer, are referred to the Cabinet Office. A total of 1,348 applications have been referred to the Cabinet Office since 1 January 1990; of these, 967 were approved unconditionally and 381 were approved with conditions. Under the business appointment rules, applications cannot be rejected outright, but approval may be made subject to behaviourial conditions or to waiting periods of up to a maximum of two years.
A breakdown between applications to take up private sector appointments and those in public sector organisations outside central Government could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.