Political Advisers

Part of Oral Answers to Questions — Civil Service – in the House of Commons at 12:00 am on 11 November 1991.

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Photo of Mr Timothy Renton Mr Timothy Renton , Mid Sussex 12:00, 11 November 1991

My right hon. Friend the Prime Minister has already answered that question, and the right hon. Gentleman will find it in Hansard last week. In that answer, my right hon. Friend lists the names of all 39 specialist advisers, all but five of whom are political advisers, with those five being special advisers—[Interruption.] The right hon. Gentleman should wait a minute. Those five special advisers offer specific technical advice on subjects such as economics on which they are expert.

As the right hon. Gentleman will know from his wide experience, over the years the Labour party has tended to bring many so-called special advisers into local government. I hope that it would not dream of doing so in Whitehall.