§ Lord Marlesfordasked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether senior civil servants and senior military officers are given general guidance or training on how to judge whether to bring to the attention of Ministers politically sensitive documents or information which they receive from officials of foreign governments; and [HL2770]
Whether instructions have been given to the Civil Service and to military commands to ensure that Ministers are made aware of politically sensitive information which is received by officials or other employees of the Government. [HL2772]
§ The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Ministry of Defence (Lord Bach):All civil servants are required to conduct themselves in accordance with the Civil Service Code, paragraph 5 of which requires civil servants to "… make all information relevant to a decision available to them" [Ministers]. Through the Civil Service Code civil servants are therefore expected to use their judgment and experience to bring any relevant information to a Minister's attention. The working relationships which exist in the Ministry of Defence ensure that military officers receive appropriate advice on matters which may require bringing to a Minister's attention from their civilian counterparts.