§ Lord Grimondasked Her Majesty's Government:
What precendents there are for payments from public monies to persuade individuals to resign from a trade union.
The Minister of State, Privy Council Office, and Minister for the Arts (The Earl of Gowrie)Theex gratia payments which have been offered to employees who accept the new conditions of service at GCHQ are in recognition of their loss of statutory rights under employment protection legislation and are therefore available to all such employees whether or not they were previously members of a union.