§ Mr. James Davidsonasked the Minister of Technology (1) what steps he has taken to ensure that classified documents are properly safeguarded between the time of their leaving a Defence establishment and their entering the pulping machine at the Northern Waste Paper Limited, Bucksburn;
(2) if, in view of the publicity now given to the finding of restricted documents in Bucksburn, Aberdeenshire, he will make the result of any investigations public.
§ Mr. BennThe classified documents found by members of the public at Bucks-burn, Aberdeenshire, were graded Restricted. This is the lowest security classification.
In this particular instance the firm responsible for the Restricted documents failed by oversight, to follow the full disposal procedure. I have been assured that they have taken steps to avoid any recurrence of such an error.
The procedure for the treatment of waste paper classified higher than "Restricted" is as described by the Financial Secretary to the Treasury in his reply on 17th March.—[Vol. 743, c. 163–4.]