§ Mr. Arthur Lewisasked the Minister for the Civil Service whether, in view of the loss of taxpayers' money by the Treasury, and the report of Judge Fay on the Crown Agents case, he will change the present situation, whereby civil servants and those in public positions found guilty of misdemeanour or neglect of duty are placed on pension or transferred to new jobs, to that of dismissal in the same way as every other employee in all types of employment other than the Civil Service.
§ Mr. Charles R. MorrisMy hon. Friend is misinformed. Civil servants whose conduct justifies it are dismissed Civil Service policy in these matters accords with the practice of other good employers. All employers must have regard to the unfair dismissal provisions of the Trade Union and Labour Relations Act 1975 and the Employment Protection Act 1975.
Under the Social Security Act 1973 no private employer is permitted to deprive an employee of pension, unless he has been convicted of treason or a major offence under the Official Secrets Act. A public servant is less protected, since he may in addition be deprived of his pension if he has been convicted of a criminal offence certified by a Minister to be gravely injurious to the State or liable to lead to serious loss of confidence in the public service.