§ Mr. Peter Bruinvelsasked the Minister for the Civil Service in what circumstances he collects information on the political adherence of civil servants.
§ Mr. Luce[pursuant to his reply, 4 July 1986]: With one exception, the Government are not concerned with the political adherence of civil servants. It has been the policy of successive Governments since 1948 that no one may be employed in connection with work the nature of which is vital to the security of the State who:
- (a) is, or has recently been, a member of a Communist or Fascist organisation, or of a subversive group, acknowledged as such by the Minister, whose aims are to undermine or overthrow parliamentary democracy in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland by political, industrial or violent means;
- (b) is, or has recently been, sympathetic to or associated with members or sympathisers of such organisations or groups, in such a way as to raise reasonable doubts about his reliability;
- (c) is susceptible to pressure from such organisations or groups.