asked the Minister of Defence how many civil servants in all Ministries involving defence have left since 1951 to take up senior posts with companies with contractual relations with those Ministries.

Eighteen.

Is not this an undesirable practice for both senior civil servants and Cabinet Ministers? Will the Minister consider increasing the present bar for civil servants from two years to five years before they can take a post and consider also imposing some bar upon Ministers or former Ministers?

The general rules governing this are set out in the White Paper Cmd. 5517 of 1937, and the number concerned is 18. If the hon. Gentleman wishes to put down a Question about amending the policy in the White Paper, perhaps he will put it on the Order Paper.