§ Lord Beaumont of Whitleyasked Her Majesty's Government:
Why the eligibility criteria for overseas posts funded by the Overseas Development Administration are derived from the rules governing entry to the United Kingdom Civil Service (HL Deb, 12th October 1994, column WA117) given that the circumstances are quite different and the result may be an inability to engage the most suitable person and whether they will consider this policy.
§ Baroness Chalker of WallaseyAid personnel employed by ODA are Crown Servants, and the recruitment criteria which apply to such appointments are therefore based on the rules governing entry to the Home Civil Service. This policy provides access to a pool of qualified applicants which meets the requirements of the programme. It does not preclude selection from a wider area in those exceptional cases where we are unable to identify candidates of a sufficiently high calibre from the traditional field.