§ Mr. HarveyTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what services are currently being considered for outsourcing in GCHQ. [28531]
§ Mr. RifkindOn 10 April 1996 the director of GCHQ announced that GCHQ's logistics and engineering support services would, from later this year, be contracted out to Vosper-Manteck. There are no current plans for further outsourcing.
§ Mr. HarveyTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the implications for national security of outsourcing at GCHQ; and if he will make a statement. [28532]
§ Mr. RifkindThe need to continue to protect the security of GCHQ's sensitive work remains of paramount importance. The arrangements for the outsourcing of GCHQ's logistics and engineering support services will preserve its ability to meet that need. As with all commercial contractors whose service GCHQ employs, the staff of the new contractor will be subject to the same stringent level of security checking as GCHQ's own staff.