§ Mr. Stokesasked the Minister for the Civil Service if he will outline the present procedure for security vetting of applicants for Civil Service posts.
§ Mr. Charles R. MorrisAn outline of security vetting arrangements which apply to applicants for certain Civil Service posts is given in the leaflet "General Information for Candidates" issued by the Civil Service Commission, and I am sending the hon. Member a copy. This explains that in order to ensure the reliability of persons to be employed in exceptionally secret work, Departments make special enquiries known as positive vetting. These entail completion by the person of a security questionnaire, and certain background enquiries by special investigating officers. These enquiries are concerned not only with political sympathies or associations of the kind mentioned above but also with revealing any characteristics which might be a potential risk to security.