§ Mr. John Morrisasked the Minister for the Civil Service what regulations have been made, or instruction given, under article 4 of the Civil Service Order in Council 1982; when and in what manner; and, if not by statutory instrument, by what means and when and in what manner they were published.
§ Mr. HayhoeThe main instructions are consolidated in the Civil Service pay and conditions of service code and brought up to date from time to time. The date of the most recent revision is given at the foot of the relevant page. These are supplemented by occasional ad hoc instructions and guidance to Departments. A copy of the code is in the Library of the House.
§ Mr. John Morrisasked the Minister for the Civil Service whether he will set out in the Official Report the contents of any regulations made or instructions given under article 4 of the Civil Service Order 1982 concerning membership of trade unions by employees at Government communications headquarters.
§ Mr. HayhoeThe instructions were confirmed formally in a letter of 7 February from the Head of the Home Civil Service to the director of the Government communications headquarters. The text was as follows
I am writing to confirm that the Prime Minister, as Minister for the Civil Service, in pursuance of Article 4 of the Civil Service Order in Council 1982 has given instructions that the conditions of service under which civil servants are employed as members of the staff of the Government Communications Headquarters shall be varied so as to provide that such civil servants shall not be members of any trade union other than a departmental staff association approved by yourself.Existing members of the staff at GCHQ shall be given such period of time as you think fit in which to determine whether or not they are prepared to continue to serve at GCHQ under the conditions of service as so varied.You should make such changes in your staff regulations and take such other ancillary and consequential steps as may be necessary to give effect to these instructions.