§ Mrs. Renée Shortasked the Minister for the Civil Service how many civil servants walked out in protest at the letter from Sir William Armstrong on 22nd February; how many offices, normally open to the public, were closed as a result; why the letter was duplicated by the Ministry of Defence, and on whose authority this was done; and what protests have been received from civil servants at the Army being used on a civil matter.
§ Mr. Kenneth BakerInformation from all Departments is not available centrally. In most of the larger Departments only a very small number of staff walked out and few, if any, offices were closed. About 73 local offices were closed for varying periods in the Department of Health and Social Security.
Each Department was asked by the Civil Service Department to duplicate and distribute copies of Sir William Armstrong's letter to its own staff as the necessary records are not held centrally in the Civil Service Department. The Ministry of Defence duplicated copies for its own departmental requirements. So far as is known, only one civil servant in the Ministry of Defence protested against the Army's being employed for this purpose.