HC Deb 11 May 1998 vol 312 cc39-40W
Mr. Malcolm Bruce

To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he has appointed a civil service rebuttal officer in his Department; and if he will make a statement. [41165]

Mr. Dobson

The Department's communications planning unit includes a rebuttal officer whose job is to make more systematic and orderly the process of responding to criticism of Government policy, and in particular to inaccurate or misleading allegations. This role complies with the official Civil Service "Guidelines on the Work of the Government Information Service" and the person appointed is a career civil servant who reports to a career civil servant.