§ Mr. Kinnockasked the Minister for the Civil Service if he will amend the paragraph on reference questionnaires concerning applicants for certain posts in the Government service to the effect that the Government have decided that no one may be employed in Government service in connection with work, the nature of which is vital to the security of the State, if he is, or has recently been, a member of the Communist Party or in such a way as to raise reasonable doubts about his reliability, is or has recently been, sympathetic to Communism, associated with Communists or Communist sympathisers, or is susceptible to Communist pressure and that for convenience and brevity the term Communist is used to cover Communist and Fascist alike, in order to ensure clarity of purpose.
§ Mr. Charles R. MorrisThe wording, to which my hon. Friend refers appeared in three standard letters to referees which 11W were used in connection with the personnel security procedure known as positive vetting. It referred to the policy announced by the then Prime Minister on 15th March 1948. In the interests of clarity and economy these three letters have recently been replaced by one simplified standard letter and report form which no longer contains this particular wording. I am sending my hon. Friend a copy for his information.