§ Mr. Wrigglesworthasked the Minister for the Civil Service what instructions were issued to Departments on how to respond to applications by staff for annual leave to attend the lobbies of Parliament on Tuesday 25 November.
§ Mr. ChannonNo instructions were issued about lobbies of Parliament. Departments were, however, instructed that attendance at any of the recent protest meetings held jointly by the Council of Civil Service Unions during working hours at 22 centres throughout the country—including the one at the Central Hall, Westminster, on 25 November—would be regarded as unauthorised absence. As a civil servant cannot be absent without authority and at the same time on annual leave, Departments were told that requests for annual leave should be refused. This is normal practice in this situation, and was followed, in comparable circumstances, in 1979.