article_snippet: Ministers were last night struggling to contain a spiralling row about highly contentious plans to bar 430,000 civil servants from talking to journalists.
article_snippet: Downing Street was understood to have intervened in a spiralling row about highly contentious plans to bar 430,000 civil servants from talking to journalists, forcing The Cabinet Office to offer a series of concessions.
article_snippet: However, the impetus is understood to have come from ministers, who wanted to control the flow of information from departments to make clear that departments, not civil servants, are ultimately in charge.
article_snippet: Ensure you have ministerial authorisation for any contact with the media.
article_snippet: You don’t want to encourage briefing against ministers, or criticising people behind people backs,’ Margaret Hodge (pictured) said.
article_snippet: But Dave Penman, general secretary of the FDA union that represents civil servants, said it was absurd to enforce a ‘blanket ban’ on all 430,000 civil servants having unauthorised contacts with journalists.
article_snippet: ‘Civil servants will become worried about every contact Civil servants have with the media, and will be looking over Civil servants shoulder all the time when talking to the public – as that’s who Civil servants are talking to through the media – about the service Civil servants deliver.
article_snippet: Mr Maude last night: ‘The Cabinet Secretary and I are both clear that no one should be exposed to personal and professional risk for doing what is in the public interest.
highlights_snippet: Plans would bar 430,000 civil servants from talking to journalists .
  
highlights_snippet: Officials could be sacked if Officials speak out before checking with a minister .
  