HL Deb 24 July 1996 vol 574 cc134-5WA
Lord Dixon-Smith

asked Her Majesty's Government:

What is the policy on recruitment at GCHQ and what information is required to be published under the provisions of the Recruitment Code of the Civil Service Commissioners.

Baroness Chalker of Wallasey

It is GCHQ's policy that all recruitment to the department is carried out on the basis of fair and open competition and selection on merit, subject to the exception permitted by the Civil Service Commissioners and in accordance with the guidance issued by them. This policy is given force by the regulations in the staff handbook and on a more detailed level by the manual of recruitment produced by the Recruitment Office. The primary responsibility for ensuring that these requirements are adhered to rests with the head of the recruitment branch. The recruitment process forms part of the regular programme of inspection by GCHQ's internal audit unit. The Recruitment Office was inspected by the Civil Service Commissioners in 1993.

The following table gives details of the numbers of staff applying and recruited and the overall percentages at each grade during the calendar year 1995. Some candidates recruited in 1995 will be joining the department within the calendar year 1996.

The only category of exceptions to the general recruitment policy permitted by the commissioners and used by GCHQ during the period (excluding appointments for less than 12 months) was the reappointment of former members of the department. Reinstatement has been a long-standing feature of GCHQ's recruitment both because of the unique nature of many of the skills used in the department and because it provides an opportunity for members of staff to return after informal career breaks. In 1995 there were two female reinstatements, at GC10 and GC11 level respectively. There were no applications for reinstatements by people from ethnic minorities or with a disability.