Northern Ireland Office: Security Checks.

HL Deb 31 October 2002 vol 640 c39WA

Lord Laird

asked Her Majesty's Government:

What level of security checks are currently being carried out on all staff in the Northern Ireland Office who have access to sensitive political information; and how these checks conform with those for staff in the Prime Minister's Office and the Ministry of Defence. [HL5847]

Lord Williams of Mostyn

Staff employed in the Northern Ireland Office are vetted, on grounds of national security, to the levels deemed appropriate in accordance with the policy set out in the then Prime Minister's Statement of 15 December 1994 (Hansard cols WA 764–66).

Those NIO staff who are members of the Home Civil Service are vetted under the same arrangements as staff in other UK government departments, including the Prime Minister's Office and the Ministry of Defence. Those staff who are members of the NICS on secondment to the NIO are vetted under broadly analogous local procedures.