§ Mr. Arthur Lewisasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will give for the various public authorities and servants for which he has overall responsibility the number who are covered by the Official Secrets Act; how many have to sign a declaration under the Act at the latest date; and how these figures compare with October 1974.
§ Mr. Merlyn ReesThe Official Secrets Acts cover anyone who is given official information. Home Office staff, like other civil servants, are invited to sign an acknowledgment that their attention has been drawn to the relevant provisions of the Acts. The number of Home Office staff on 1st February 1978 was 33,024 and the comparable figure for 1st October 1974 was 29,788.
In addition, a number of employees of bodies for which I have responsibility have access to official information and sign similar declarations, but no central record is kept of their numbers.