HC Deb 28 May 1957 vol 571 cc20-1W
56. Mr. Palmer

asked the Prime Minister if he will make a statement on the activities of the Government security services in the universities.

The Prime Minister

As was announced in January, 1952, special inquiries are made about the reliability of Government staff to be employed on exceptionally secret work. Those inquiries must be accepted as part of the normal security procedure and do not imply that the individual is under suspicion. If he is a university man, inquiries are usually made from his tutors since they are in a unique position to give information, favourable or otherwise, about him, needed to help those responsible for deciding that he is fit to be employed on such work.