§ Lord Molloyasked Her Majesty' s Government:
Whether trade union officers or members of the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament are being subjected to surveillance by MI5, and whether those organisations have been infiltrated on Her Majesty's Government's instructions.
§ Lord EltonThe published directive of the security service makes it clear that it is concerned with the defence of the Realm from internal and external threats arising from attempts at espionage and sabotage, or from the actions of people or organisations which may be judged subversive of the state.
It is not the practice to comment on the methods employed by the security service in carrying out their duties under their directive, irrespective of whether particular allegations about its operations are true or false. But my right honourable friend the Home Secretary has made it clear on a number of occasions that peaceful political campaigning to change the mind of the Government or of people generally about political issues such as nuclear disarmament cannot constitute subversion. Nor can membership of or the holding of office in a trade union in itself be regarded as subversive. On the other hand, it would not be right to prevent the security service from investigating subversive activities just because the person engaged in them happened to hold office in a trade union or to be a member of a particular pressure group.