On Wednesday it emerged that civil servants were being asked to act as airport border staff during the strike action.

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According to the agreed rules, citizens from all member states are supposed to act as international civil servants.

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Lord Neill would prefer the code to be enshrined in an act of Parliament to give civil servants more protection.

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In October, Mr Blair tried to explain his Third Way to senior civil servants by giving examples of ways in which it had helped the government find new ways to act.

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