§ Mr. William RossTo ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland (1) how many persons selected as suitable applicants for posts for which they had applied by the Eastern health and social services board during each of the last three years have subsequently been refused an appointment because an adverse security report was received by the board from the Northern Ireland Office;
(2) whether there is any appeal against an adverse security report issued by the Northern Ireland Office on an otherwise suitable applicant for a job with a health and social services board;
215W(3) who is (a) responsible for and (b) carries out security vetting of otherwise suitable applicants for posts with the Eastern health and social services board.
§ Mr. Cope[holding answer 20 March 1990]: It has been the policy of successive Governments not to give detailed information about security vetting procedures.