HC Deb 31 July 1978 vol 955 cc99-102W
Mr. Gow

asked the Secretary of State for Defence which hon. Members attended the Royal Navy presentation team visit to the House on 13th December 1977; and what checks were made subsequently by his Department to establish which hon. Members had attended.

Mr. Fairbairn

asked the Secretary of State for Defence (1) for how long the criteria laid down in the second and fourth paragraphs of the letter dated 30th January 1978 from the Under-Secretary of State for Defence for the Royal Navy to the hon. and learned Member for Kinross and West Perthshire have been in operation for visits by hon. Members to defence establishments; whether these criteria have his approval; which hon. Members have a sustained interest in defence and have demonstrated such, and which have not; and which defence establishments have been visited by the hon. Member for Eastbourne (Mr. Gow) since 1st March 1974;

(2) whether he is satisfied with the procedures to vet all invitations for Members of both Houses of Parliament to visit defence establishments for whatever purpose, as described by the Under-Secretary of State for Defence for the Royal Navy in his letter dated 30th January 1978 to the hon. and learned Member for Kinross and West Perthshire; what those vetting procedures are; in how many cases, since 1st March 1974, apart front the case of the hon. and learned Member in July 1977, he has withheld his consent to such a visit by a Member of either House of Parliament; and whether his consent is required for other civilian visits to defence establishments on social occasions, or only for such visits by Members of Parliament;

(3) which of the statements made by the Under-Secretary of State for Defence for the Royal Navy in his letter dated 30th January 1978 to the hon. and learned Member for Kinross and West Perthshire were erroneous, in whole or in part;

(4) why the hon. and learned Member for Kinross and West Perthshire was refused permission to attend a dinner at HMS "Caledonia", Rosyth, in July 1977;

(5) whether he will publish in the Official Report or place in the Library copies of the following letters relating to visits to defence establishments (a) from the hon. and learned Member for Kinross and West Perthshire to himself dated 7th December 1977 and (b) dated 30th January 1978 from the Under-Secretary of State for Defence for the Royal Navy to the hon. and learned Member, (c) dated 7th February 1978 from the hon. and learned Member to the Prime Minister and (d) dated 16th February 1978 from himself to the hon. and learned Member;

(6) whether the letter dated 30th January 1978 from the Under-Secretary of State for Defence for the Royal Navy to the hon. and learned Member for Kinross and West Perthshire was sent with his authority.

Mr. Mulley

The matter out of which the hon. Member's and the hon. and learned Member's Question arise was discussed in the House on 6th April 1978.—[Vol. 947, c . 829–40], and I have nothing to add to what my hon. Friend, the Under-Secretary of State for the Royal Navy said then. I also refer to my answer to the right hon. Member for Chesham and Amersham (Sir I. Gilmour) today on guidelines for visits to defence establishments, and to the hon. and learned Member for Kinross and West Perthshire (Mr. Fairbairn)—[Vol. 944, c. 552]—the hon. Member for Cirencester and Tewkesbury (Mr. Ridley)—[Vol. 944, c. 553]—and the hon. Member for Chingford (Mr. Tebbit)—[Vol. 944, c. 554]—on 21st February 1978.

Sir Ian Gilmour

asked the Secretary of State for Defence whether he will publish in the Official Report the guidelines on procedures for visits by Members of Parliament to defence establishments to which he referred in his letter to the right hon. Member for Chesham and Amersham, dated 23rd March 1978.

Mr. Mulley

Visits by hon. Members to defence establishments normally fall into four categories:

  1. (a) Visits where the MP has a clear constituency interest;
  2. (b) Visits forming part of the regular series of all-party visits;
  3. (c) Visits by Select Committees;
  4. (d) Visits by an MP who is an Opposition Front Bench defence spokesman.

Any visits falling outside these categories are treated as exceptional and usually need my, or my Minister of State's, clearance.

The Services welcome visits from MPs and the intention to keep visit under con- central control is to avoid any suggestion of bias in favour of any party, to avoid the Services or Service premises becoming involved in party political entertaining and to reduce the burden on defence establishments resulting from unco-ordinated visits.

The guideines are not intended to apply to visits of a purely social nature, where the initiative would normally be taken by a unit. Nor is there any need for the unit to seek my permission, or that of any other Minister, for an hon. Member to dine in mess or take part in some other purely social function, provided the occasion is not used for any political purpose.