HC Deb 16 March 1978 vol 946 cc307-8W
Mr. Ron Thomas

asked the Secretary of State for Defence (1) how many men and women in all three Services with the equivalent rank of Army private are at present members of a trade union; and of which union or unions they are members;

(2) how many members of the Armed Forces are at present members of the Amalgamated Union of Engineering Workers, the Electrical, Electronic, Plumbing and Telecommunications Union, Union of Construction and Allied Trades Union, Transport and General Workers Union, Association of Scientific, Technical and Managerial Staffs, and Civil Service unions or other trade unions.

(3) how many non-commissioned officers below the rank of sergeant or equivalent in each of the three Services are members of a trade union; and of which trade union or unions they are members;

(4) if he will arrange to publish in the Official Report a frequency distribution showing numbers of officers in all three South Africa for each of the last five years.

Mr. Clinton Davis

The information available relates to direct investment overseas by United Kingdom companies, excluding oil, up to 1975. Such investments in South Africa were:

Services who are members of a trade union, indicating precise rank and trade union concerned;

(5) how many sergeants and equivalent ranks in all three Services are members of a trade union; and of which trade union or unions they are members.

Mr. Mulley

Service personnel who join trade unions under the current arrangements are not required to inform the military authorities. The information required is not therefore available.

Mr. Ron Thomas

asked the Secretary of State for Defence how many invitations were issued in 1977 to trade union officials to visit defence establishments to discuss with officers and other ranks the benefits arising from trade union membership and organisation.

Mr. Mulley

None for this particular purpose, as far as I am aware, but trade union officials are sometimes invited to give talks or participate in seminars on defence matters. No central record is kept of such invitations.

Back to