A TOP civil servant best known for his liberal use of expletives is at the centre of a new row over the failure to award an honour to Professor Colin Blakemore, the respected scientist.

Sir Richard Mottram, permanent secretary at the Department for Work and Pensions, has been identified in a parliamentary inquiry as a key suspect in the decision to blackball Blakemore.

He had previously been best known to the public for his language at the height of the events two years ago which preceded the resignation of Stephen Byers as transport minister.

The debacle involved Martin Sixsmith, Byers’s spokesman, being set up as a fall guy over a government leak. In a sentence now legendary in Whitehall, Mottram told a colleague: “We’re all f*****. I’m f*****, you’re f*****, the whole department’s f*****. It’s been the biggest cock-up and we are all completely f*****.”

The Sunday Times disclosed in December that Blakemore, one of the country’s leading scientists, had been deemed unsuitable for an honour because of his past work on animals.

The revelation caused outrage and led to an inquiry by the Commons public administration committee (PAC). It is this committee which will be questioning Mottram.

This weekend it emerged that Mottram is chairman of the Whitehall science and technology (S&T) committee, which was said to have blocked Blakemore’s honour. The snub was revealed in the leaked minutes of discussions of the main honours committee, of which Mottram is also a member.

The minutes, which discussed the 2004 new year’s honours, say: “The S&T committee were unlikely to recommend (Blakemore) for his scientific work, particularly in view of his controversial work on vivisection. He had now moved to the Medical Research Council (MRC), however, and it was possible that his reputation would be improved. He should be looked at again when he had had a little longer at the MRC.”

The remarks infuriated Blakemore, who believed his scientific work had always had the government’s backing. He threatened to resign as chief executive of the MRC but was placated by an apology from Lord Sainsbury, the science minister.The PAC has failed so far to find out who originated the comments about Blakemore.

Sir David King, the government’s chief scientific adviser, has added to the intrigue by claiming in his submission to the Commons committee that the comments did not reflect the S&T committee’s views. He told the MPs that Blakemore was a courageous and outstanding scientist who had continued his work in the face of threats from a handful of animal rights extremists: “The point of me saying that is that I would be very surprised if anyone on the S&T committee expressed a view differently from what I have said to you . . . I am surprised at the minute.”

Since Mottram was the S&T representative on the main honours committee, the questions will now be addressed to him. Indeed, when King was asked if someone on the honours committee did not like Blakemore, he replied: “I would suggest you talk to him (the chairman of the S&T committee).”

One senior MP said: “King appears to be blaming Mottram. We have asked Mottram to come to talk to us about it.”

Blakemore said he had been assured by Sainsbury that the views expressed in the minute were not those of government. Ministers were “fulsome” in their support for essential research on animals, he said.

Blakemore said he was amazed to learn of Mottram’s alleged role: “David King asked to see me. He didn’t name names but he told me he felt that one person was principally responsible. If that’s the case it’s a sad reflection on the honours system.”

Mottram was also questioned by the PAC over the Sixsmith affair. A spokeswoman for King said he did not want to blame Mottram for the row.

Mottram said he had approached the PAC to discuss his role as chairman of the S&T committee: “I will be happy to explain that Professor Blakemore is a very distinguished scientist and there is no question of his being denied any honour because of his involvement in vivisection.”

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