HC Deb 28 July 1960 vol 627 cc175-8W
64. Mr. M. Stewart

asked the Minister of Education on how many occasions in the last five years headmasters and headmistresses of schools for which his Department is responsible have been asked, for security reasons, about the political opinions of pupils in their schools.

70. Mr. Harold Davies

asked the Minister of Education, how many headmasters or headmistresses in north Staffordshire grammar and other schools have been asked to give particulars, for security purposes, of the political leanings of any of their students.

Sir D. Eccles

I assume the Questions refer to pupils in school. As I said in the debate on the Adjournment of 18th July, no inquiries are made in any general sense about the political views of pupils in a school.

The arrangements introduced by the Government in 1952 for ensuring the reliability of staff employed on exceptionally secret work may mean that from time to time headmasters and headmistresses, among other, are asked about candidates for certain posts. I know of no case where such enquiries have been made about pupils in a school except where the pupil has given the teacher as a referee.

I do not consider it justifiable to make enquiries necessary to find out the exact number of candidates about whom questions have been asked with their knowledge.

68. Mr. Swingler

asked the Minister of Education to request local education authorities to inform him of the number of occasions in the last three years on which head teachers in their areas have had inquiries from the security police about the political views and activities of their students.

Sir D. Eccles

No. I would refer the hon. Member to my reply to the hon. Members for Fulham (Mr. M. Stewart) and Leek (Mr. Harold Davies).

69. Mrs. Slater

asked the Minister of Education whether he will give an undertaking that school teachers who refuse to co-operate with the security forces in answering questions about the political views of their students, or former students, will not be victimised.

Sir D. Eccles

I can certainly give the hon. Lady this assurance, but teachers will realise from Answers I have given to previous Questions that inquiries about the suitability of applicants for certain posts are necessary in the public interest.

71. Mr. W. Griffiths

asked the Minister of Education whether he will issue a circular to local education authorities setting out precisely the positions in industry and the public service in which applicants may expect to have to undergo official security screening; and whether he will ask the local education authorities to see that teachers and schoolchildren are informed that inquiries about their political views may be made.

Sir D. Eccles

No. It would be impracticable to define in advance every job to which the 1952 arrangements may apply. The security risk attaching to particular posts can vary widely from time to time.

As I said in the debate on the Adjournment on 18th July, no inquiries are made in any general sense about the political views of pupils in a school.

72. Mr. Oram

asked the Minister of Education whether he will ascertain the views of teachers' organisations about the questions addressed to their members in schools for which he is responsible by representatives of the security forces.

Sir D. Eccles

No. It is well known that inquiries about applicants for certain posts are necessary in the national interest.

79. Mr. S. Silverman

asked the Minister of Education whether he will take steps to ensure that, on every occasion on which any head teacher consents to give information concerning the political reliability of any present or past pupil at his school, the pupil concerned shall be fully informed of the inquiry made and the information given and that no such information in any case shall be given without the pupil's express consent.

Sir D. Eccles

No. In all cases a candidate is told in advance that inquiries will be made about him from people who know him well, but it might defeat the object of these enquiries if he were told precisely to whom they would be addressed (apart from nominated referees) and his express consent required. If an assessment of a candidate's suitability is to be of value it must be confidential between the giver and receiver.

80. Mr. Kelley

asked the Minister of Education whether he has had consultations with the National Union of Teachers regarding the practice by security forces of asking members of the teaching profession to answer questions about the political affiliations of students, or former students, seeking certain positions in industry.

Sir D. Eccles

No.