§ Mr. Gordon PrenticeTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his answer of 8 February 2001,Official Report, column 631W, on the Joint Service Defence Council, what factors led him to authorise the withdrawal of JS DC1 88/00. [152852]
§ Mr. SpellarI authorised the temporary withdrawal of Joint Service Defence Council instruction 88/00, pending a review, as a result of concerns that the Ministry of Defence's policy towards membership of societies such as the Freemasons might not be fully compliant with the European convention on human rights.