HC Deb 19 July 1995 vol 263 c1508W
Mr. McMaster

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what rules apply to the provision by his Department, including his special advisers, of advice, briefing notes, draft speeches or other information to Conservative Members; what such material has been made available in the last two years; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Michael Forsyth

It is an established principle that civil servants should not engage in activities likely to call in question their political impartiality, or to give rise to criticism that officials paid for out of public funds are being used for party-political purposes.

Accordingly, the following rules apply:

  1. (a)civil servants in their official capacity are prohibited from attending conferences arranged by political parties;
  2. (b) they may not attend meetings of policy or subject groups of the parliamentary parties;
  3. (c) they may not attend all-party subject groups or committees except to accompany a Minister and to respond to factual questions;
  4. (d) these rules need not inhibit factual briefings by officials of MPs on overseas or regional visits;
  5. (e) Ministers may also arrange factual briefing by officials, for MPs of one party provided that a Minister attends the meeting and similar facilities are offered to MPs of other parties;
  6. (f) Ministers should always be present when MPs are to discuss sensitive areas of public policy with officials.

Written briefing material provided by officials to Ministers may be distributed to Back-Bench Members provided that it would be released to any genuine inquirer and that hon. Members of all parties may have access to it.

The rules do not prevent agency chief executives and managers of local offices, with the Minister's approval, from communicating with hon. Members about problems of individual constituents.

A record of the material made available to hon. Members could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.