Oral question asked in the House of Lords, by Lord Campbell-Savours (Labour). It was answered on Monday, 16 April 2007.

Special Advisers

Question: My Lords, was not the attack by the Chancellor of the Exchequer’s special adviser on the MPs for Darlington and North Tyneside totally in breach of paragraph 14 of the Code of Conduct for Special Advisers, paragraph 15c of the contract of employment of special advisers and paragraphs 12 and 13 of the Civil Service Code? Why, when 11 Written and Oral Questions have been asked over four and a half months, does the Treasury still refuse to respond on this issue? Does not the deafening silence of the Treasury on these breaches make a mockery of the solemn undertaking given to Parliament in 2004, which guaranteed the accountability of Ministers to Parliament for the actions of special advisers?

Answer: My Lords, the relevant Minister is responsible both for the appointment of special advisers in his or her department and for their conduct. My noble friend would not expect me to discuss a specific case at the Dispatch Box, but let us be absolutely clear that parliamentary accountability rests with the Minister who has appointed the special advisers. When there have been contributions and Questions, such as those that my noble friend has asked over a protracted period, lessons are learnt by special advisers about the dangers of communications with the press and the importance, as my noble friend has reiterated, of keeping out of public political controversy.

Secondary information

Type: Oral question
Reference: 691 c9-10
Session: 2006-07
Oral question type: 1st Supplementary
Chamber / Committee: House of Lords chamber
Subjects: Codes of practice Conduct Special advisers Treasury Conditions of employment Finance
Link: View this Oral question on www.publications.parliament.uk