§ Mr. LathamTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the answer given by the Minister of State for Defence Procurement on 2 July,Official Report, column 519W 149, what is his policy on informing hon. Members about forthcoming announcements of redundancies at his Department's workplaces.
§ Mr. Alan ClarkMy right hon. Friend's general practice is to give notice to those hon. Members whose constituents are mainly affected whenever the number of civilian staff in question is 25 or more. That is the same threshold as is agreed for consultation with trade unions at departmental level. Proposals of lesser scale are normally handled at local level.