asked the Prime Minister whether he is satisfied that the Civil Service is faithfully carrying out its duties in implementing the policy of the Government; and whether he will publish the evidence in his possession of any attempt by that Service to sabotage Government policy.

Yes, Sir, I am entirely satisfied. An allegation that certain civil servants were sabotaging the Government was, however, recently made in a speech by the hon. Member for Bexley (Mr. Bramall), and my right hon. Friend the Financial Secretary to the Treasury has asked that particulars in support of it should be submitted so that the charge may be inquired into.

I am much obliged to the Prime Minister for what he has said. Will he impress on his colleagues and back benchers generally the unfairness of attacking public servants who, in the nature of things, are people who cannot exercise the right to reply?

I think that applies to everyone. Civil servants should be attacked only through their Ministers, and it is the job of the Ministers to reply.

Are we to understand from the Prime Minister that the hon. Member for Bexley (Mr. Bramall) had this information in his possession and had not taken it up with the Department concerned before he made his very serious allegations in public?

It is obviously impossible for me to answer that question.

Can the right hon. Gentleman say whether any inquiry on these lines would cover the question of whether the present Minister of War when Minister of Fuel and Power was let down by his experts?

Will my right hon. Friend bear in mind that no such inhibitions about expressions of opinion seem to have been operative in the case of certain prominent gentlemen connected with the Planning Board of His Majesty's Government?