FDA welcomes new approach for political memoirs - 25 July 2006

The FDA welcomed new guidelines for the publication of memoirs by ministers, special advisers and civil servants which were published today by the Public Administration Select Committee (PASC).

Under the guidelines, civil servants will be asked to assign copyright of any unauthorised future works to the Crown. If they publish without prior clearance, the Government could seek the profits, thus removing any financial incentives for officials who may seek to profit from their time in government.

An FDA spokesperson said:

"We welcome PASC's sensible approach to political memoirs, which balances the ability of individuals to publish with protecting the trust between civil servants and ministers. We also welcome the committee's recommendation that both officials and ministers sign up to these guidelines."

Notes for Editors
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