asked the Minister for the Civil Service how many civil servants have been seconded to industry during each year since 1960; from which Departments they were seconded; at what rank they were at the time of secondment; what broad range of posts they were seconded to; and how they were selected.

Figures are not available for the period before 1968. The total numbers of secondments to industry/commerce starting in each year since 1968 are:

1968	11
1969	20
1970	10
1971	11
1972	8
1973	9
1974	8
1975	6
to date

I will write separately to my hon. Friend to give her the details she requires on the rank and Department of each of those concerned.Because there is no standard nomenclature for posts in the private sector the range of jobs undertaken by seconded civil servants can only be described by general fields of activity. These include research, planning, production management, marketing, personnel management, industrial relations and finance. Those seconded were carefully selected for their ability to make a useful contribution to the work of the organisation to which they were seconded and to benefit themselves and their Departments by enlargement of their experience.