§ Mr. Leslie Huckfieldasked the Secretary of State for Employment whether all the staff of Warnes' Mail Marketing who are involved in the postal ballot being conducted by the Court of Industrial Relations in connection with the current rail pay dispute have signed a declaration concerning the Official Secrets Act; and what arrangements he has made to protect the confidentiality of the ballot.
§ Mr. Chichester-ClarkThe Commission on Industrial Relations is required by the Industrial Relations Act to conduct 507W the ballot in accordance with rules which are designed to protect the confidentiality of the ballot. I am asking the chairman of the Commission to send the hon. Member a copy of the rules. Since the staff of Warnes' Mail Marketing are employed only on despatch and do not handle the completed ballot papers, it is unnecessary to ask them to sign a declaration concerning the Official Secrets Act.