§ Mr. MaudeTo ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office (1) what rules govern civil servants accompanying Ministers to overseas fund-raising functions; [115206]
(2) what rules govern civil servants accompanying Ministers to party political functions. [115208]
§ Mr. StringerParagraph 60 of the Ministerial Code makes it clear that Ministers should not ask civil servants to attend, still less take part in, Party Conferences or meetings of policy or subject groups of any of the parliamentary parties. It is an established principle in the public service that civil servants in their official capacity should not accept invitations to conferences convened by, or under the aegis of, party political organisations. The situation is, of course, different when Ministers require officials to be in attendance at party political events in order to enable the Minister to carry out urgent departmental business. This guidance applies to events within the United Kingdom and overseas.