HC Deb 06 June 1995 vol 261 cc26-7W
Mr. Campbell-Savours

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the implications for security arising out of privatising individual services at GCHQ. [26454]

Mr. Hurd

GCHQ has used outside contractors on sensitive work in the past and the plan to contract certain logistic and engineering services to outside companies does not introduce any new security dimension. The procedures for security vetting announced in the House by the Prime Minister on 15 December 1994,Official Report, columns 764–66, will be applied by GCHQ as in Government generally so that we can be assured of the reliability of the personnel of the successful tendering company.

Mr. Campbell-Savours

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs to what extent the Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment Regulations) 1981 would apply to employees transferred under programmes of privatisation at GCHQ. [26456]

Mr. Hurd

If the Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment Regulations) 1981 are deemed to apply, any employees transferred to a contractor would retain their existing contracts of employment. Any subsequent change to the contracts would be a matter for negotiation between the contractor and employees concerned. If there is no transfer of undertakings in accordance with these regulations, any employees leaving GCHQ as a result of outsourcing would have their existing contracts terminated on redundancy grounds, with payment of appropriate compensation. It would be for the contractor to decide whether to recruit any ex-GCHQ staff and what their terms of employment should be.

Mr. Campbell-Savours

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (1) what proposals he has for the privatisation of individual services at GCHQ; [26453]

(2) to what extent privatisation of individual services at GCHQ will include contracts for employees providing (a) greater and (b) reduced employment rights relative to those enjoyed by existing GCHQ directly employed staff. [26455]

Mr. Hurd

None. In accordance with Government White Papers concerning the Government sector providing value for money, on 23 March 1995 the director of GCHQ announced proposals to outsource GCHQ's logistics and engineering services. There are no plans for further outsourcing at the moment.