Derek McDowell (Labour)

I thank the Minister of State for his helpful reply. For the sake of argument, let us take the example of a public representative who communicates with the PAS to inquire how a particular applicant's case stands, as public representatives sometimes do although perhaps not in the case of the Civil Service Commission. While he or she does not state that candidate X is a brilliant man or woman, in making the inquiry he or she clearly intends to indicate, without explicitly stating, a preference for a particular candidate. Does this form of inquiry, as opposed to advocacy, constitute interference?