§ Bob SpinkTo ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what the requirements are on officials in his Department to declare current interests; and what register of interests is kept for his departmental officials. [164704]
§ Mr. PearsonThe requirements placed upon officials employed in NI Departments and the Northern Ireland Office are set out in the Conduct Sections of the Northern Ireland Civil Service Pay and Conditions of Service Code and the Civil Service Management Code (Home Civil Service). These requirements place responsibility on officials to declare to senior management, as appropriate and when necessary, their current interests. The declaration must include the likelihood of possible conflicts of interest and, where appropriate, seek approval before proceeding with a particular course of action. The contents of the respective Codes are drawn to the attention of officials as part of induction programmes.
While there is no register of interests maintained centrally in respect of officials working in the NI departments or in the Northern Ireland Office, three NI departments, because of the specialised nature of their business and the interaction with the private sector and non-departmental public bodies, have established departmental registers.