To ask Her Majesty's Government what arrangements there are for senior civil servants to gain experience of the industries they supervise; and how many civil servants have benefited from such experience for periods exceeding three months. [HL96]

Departments and agencies are encouraged to arrange secondments for civil servants where this would be of benefit to the organisation and the individual. Secondment arrangements are delegated to departments and agencies.

Terms and conditions for secondments are set out in the Civil Service Management Code, a copy of which has been placed in the Library and any secondment must satisfy business appointment rules on the acceptance of outside appointments by crown servants, which are also set out in the management code.

Information on the number of secondments is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.