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Early day motion tabled by primary sponsor Marjorie Mowlam (Labour), on Wednesday, 6 June 1990, in the House of Commons. It is signed by 60 members in total.

Business Appointments of Former Ministers

That this House recognises with growing concern the number of ex-Government Ministers taking up senior positions in companies previously privatised by their own Department; notes that the precedent was established by the Right honourable Member for Chingford and subsequently followed by the Right honourable Members for Sutton Coldfield and Worcester; and, acknowledging the current prohibition of civil servants from such positions in private companies until a reasonable time has elapsed since they left office, urges the Government to give an assurance that the disparity in this regard will be addressed immediately as it clearly raises issues of propriety and the possibility of a personal conflict of interest.

Amendments

The Early day motion has received 2 amendments.

1075A1
Leave out from 'House' to end and add 'notes the growing number of ex-ministers who are successfully deploying their political, administrative and ministerial expertise in senior positions in British companies; congratulates them; recalls that they follow in the steps of Lord Varley, former Labour Member for Chesterfield; recognises, however, that Conservative ex-Ministers are inevitably in greater demand than their Labour counterparts given the Opposition's ideological hatred of enterprise, wealth and profit; and notes that neither the honourable Member for Redcar nor any of her original signatories has held any commercial position whatsoever, junior or senior,nor is likely to be offered any.'.
1075A2
At end add, 'as when the former Secretary of State for Trade and Industry on the Board of British Telecom, the Right honourable Member for Chingford, discovers that he is outnumbered by the two ex-Secretaries of State for Trade and Industry on the Board of British Telecom's only domestic competitor, Cable and Wireless, which owns both Mercury and the Hong Kong Telephone Company, thus creating anxiety that our traditional indigenous telephone system will in the future be overrun and outcompeted by new telephone operations still primarily based in distant parts of the colonies and Commonwealth.'.

Secondary information

Type
Early day motion
Reference
1075 
1075A1 
1075A2 
Session
1989-90
Subjects
Directors Consultants Privatisation Ministers Walker of Worcester, Lord Fowler, Lord Tebbit, Lord
Link
View this Early day motion on www.parliament.uk