To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make it his policy by mutual agreement specifically to permit transfers of staff between the Northern Ireland civil service and the home civil service on marriage. [37392]

The Northern Ireland civil service and the home civil service are separate civil services and there are no formal rights of transfer between them. It is the policy of both services, however, to seek to facilitate inter-service transfers on compassionate grounds, whenever possible, and the criteria for compassionate transfers include those who need to move to be with their spouse.