§ Mr. Austin Mitchellasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list the numbers of subsidiary centres included in the ban on union membership at Government communications headquarters, giving the number of employees and the percentage of union membership at each.
§ Sir Geoffrey HoweThe new conditions of service announced on 25 January apply to all GCHQ staff, whether they are serving at Cheltenham or elsewhere. It would not be in the national interest to give further details of the subsidiary centres which are affected or of the numbers of staff working at them.
§ Mr. Dubsasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many civil servants at Government communications headquarters, Cheltenham, have accepted the recent offer of £1,000; and how many were already members of trade unions.
§ Sir Geoffrey HoweIt is not the practice, for security reasons, to disclose the numbers of GCHQ staff. The number of those who have already opted to remain is substantial and the number who have opted to leave is minimal. There is no way of establishing the precise break-down between union members and others.