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Mr. Cope : Statistics relating to general service grades are not available by Department as all posts in this category are advertised by the Civil Service Commission to fill vacancies on a Northern Ireland Civil Service-wide basis.
The information requested at parts (a) and (c) is set out in the tables below :
Column 97
Department of Health and Social Services
Newspapers and Grades Advertised
number of applicants
|Auditor/ |Chief |Chief |Director of|Medical |Medical |PPTO |Prison |Security |Super- |Tracer |1987
|Senior |Inspector |Nursing |Estate |Officer |Officer |Mech and |Medical |Guard |intending |Technical |Totals
|Auditor |(SSI) |Officer |Services |Elect |Officer |London- |Architect |Grade 2
|Engineer |derry
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Independent |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |-
Social Services Insight |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |-
Social Work Today |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |-
Health Ser Journal |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |-
Belfast Telegraph |11 |3 |2 |13 |8 |9 |9 |2 |- |1 |18 |76
Irish News |0 |0 |0 |0 |0 |0 |0 |0 |- |0 |0 |0
News Letter |1 |0 |0 |1 |1 |0 |2 |1 |- |1 |0 |7
Guardian |- |0 |0 |2 |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |2
The Times Sunday Times - 0 - 1 - - - - - - - 1
The Observer |- |0 |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |0
Nursing Times |- |- |2 |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |2
Architects Journal |- |- |- |3 |- |- |- |- |- |1 |- |4
Building |- |- |- |2 |- |- |- |- |- |0 |- |2
Engineering News |- |- |- |0 |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |0
British Med. Journal |- |- |- |- |0 |4 |- |5 |- |- |- |9
Chartered Mech. Eng. |- |- |- |- |- |- |0 |- |- |- |- |0
Hospital Engineering |- |- |- |- |- |- |0 |- |- |- |- |0
The Lancet |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |0 |- |- |- |0
Londonderry Journal |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |173 |- |- |173
Londonderry Sentinel |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |193 |- |- |193
Building Design |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |0 |- |0
Community Care |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |-
|------- |------- |------- |------- |------- |------- |------- |------- |------- |------- |------- |-------
Totals |12 |3 |4 |22 |9 |13 |11 |8 |366 |3 |18 |469
Table file CW900130.006 not available
Newspapers and number of Grades Advertised
|Inspector |Medical |Tracer |1988 |Chief |Chief Insp.|Inspector |Medical |Medical |PTO- |1989
|(SSI) |Officer |Technical |Totals |Executive |(SSI) |(SSI) |Officer |Officer |Electronic |Totals
|Grade 2 |H&PSS |(Electro
|Medical
|Tech
|Engineers)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Independent |- |- |- |- |0 |- |- |- |- |- |0
Social Services Insight |1 |- |- |1 |- |0 |- |- |- |- |0
Social Work Today |1 |- |- |1 |- |0 |0 |- |- |- |0
Health Ser Journal |- |- |- |- |3 |- |- |- |- |- |3
Belfast Telegraph |10 |28 |0 |38 |1 |3 |7 |7 |12 |74 |104
Irish News |0 |0 |0 |0 |0 |0 |0 |0 |0 |3 |3
News Letter |1 |4 |0 |5 |0 |0 |0 |1 |0 |4 |5
Guardian |- |- |- |- |- |1 |- |- |- |- |1
The Times Sunday Times - - - - 4 - - - - - 4
The Observer |- |- |- |- |- |0 |- |- |- |- |0
Nursing Times |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |-
Architects Journal |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |-
Building |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |-
Engineering News |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |-
British Med. Journal |- |1 |- |1 |- |- |- |3 |10 |- |13
Chartered Mech. Eng. |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |-
Hospital Engineering |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |-
The Lancet |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |-
Londonderry Journal |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |-
Londonderry Sentinel |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |-
Building Design |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |-
Community Care |- |- |- |- |- |1 |- |- |- |- |1
|------- |------- |------- |------- |------- |------- |------- |------- |------- |------- |-------
Totals |13 |33 |0 |46 |8 |5 |7 |11 |22 |81 |134
Newspapers |Overall total
------------------------------------------------------
Independent |0
Social Services Insight |1
Social Work Today |1
Health Ser Journal |3
Belfast Telegraph |218
Irish News |3
News Letter |17
Guardian |3
The Times Sunday Times 5
The Observer |0
Nursing Times |2
Architects Journal |4
Building |2
Engineering News |0
British Med. Journal |23
Chartered Mech. Eng. |0
Hospital Engineering |0
The Lancet |0
Londonderry Journal |173
Londonderry Sentinel |193
Building Design |0
|-------
Totals |649
Table file CW900130.010 not available
Column 99
Table II
Department of Education-Newspapers and number of applicants
Grades advertised |Belfast |News |Irish |Times |Total
|Telegraph |Letter |News |Educational
|Supplement
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Inspector of Schools (Commerce and Business Education) |18 |2 |1 |2 |23
Inspector of Schools (Construction) |16 |1 |0 |2 |19
Inspector of Schools (Engineering) |14 |2 |0 |1 |17
|--- |--- |--- |--- |---
1987 Totals |48 |5 |1 |5 |59
|--- |--- |--- |--- |---
Inspector of Schools (Construction) |20 |1 |0 |0 |21
Inspector of Schools (Mathematics) |12 |1 |0 |2 |15
|--- |--- |--- |--- |---
1988 Totals |32 |2 |0 |2 |36
|--- |--- |--- |--- |---
Inspector of Schools (Commerce and Business Committee) |20 |4 |4 |3 |31
Inspector of Schools (Construction) |26 |1 |2 |0 |29
Inspector of Schools (11-16 Support Inspector) |15 |0 |2 |4 |21
Inspector of Schools (Biology) |23 |2 |1 |7 |33
Inspector of Schools (Catering/Home Economics) |10 |2 |0 |3 |15
Inspector of Schools (Electrical Engineering) |20 |0 |0 |1 |21
Inspector of Schools (Geography) |23 |8 |2 |2 |35
Inspector of Schools (Mathematics) |12 |0 |0 |3 |15
Inspector of Schools (Science) |22 |0 |2 |7 |31
|--- |--- |--- |--- |---
1989 Totals |171 |17 |13 |30 |231
|--- |--- |--- |--- |---
Overall Total |251 |24 |14 |37 |326
Table file CW900130.012 not available
Column 101
Cerebral Palsy
Ms. Harman : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland (1) what research he has commissioned to investigate the causes of cerebral palsy ;
(2) what steps his Department is taking to monitor trends in cerebral palsy.
Mr. Needham [holding answer 22 January 1990] : None. The main agency through which the Government support biomedical and clinical research in the United Kingdom is the Medical Research Council. However, I understand the Department of Health is funding some research into the causes of cerebral palsy.
Construction Materials
Mr. William Ross : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what effects on steel reinforcing have been reported to him as a result of alkali silica reaction or alkali aggregate reaction in the concrete used for the construction of any public building, bridge, sewage works, or water impoundment dam in Northern Ireland.
Mr. Needham [holding answer 23 January 1990] : None.
Mr. William Ross : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland whether any alkali silica reaction or alkali aggregate reaction has been reported in any concrete used in the construction of any building or other publicly or Government-funded construction now in public ownership in Northern Ireland.
Mr. Needham [holding answer 23 January 1990] : I am aware of only one concrete structure in public ownership in Northern Ireland with a problem which may have been caused by alkali aggregate reaction. The problem is not considered serious, but further investigations are being carried out.
Firearms
Mr. William Ross : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what definition his Department uses of a replica firearm.
Mr. Cope [holding answer 23 January 1990] : Article 2 of the Firearms (Northern Ireland) Order 1981 defines imitation firearm as "anything which has the appearance of being a firearm whether or not it is capable of discharging any shot, bullet or other missile". Additionally, under the Firearms (Northern Ireland) Order 1983 any imitation firearm which is readily convertible with a firearm is treated as if it were a firearm.
Mr. William Ross : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what steps he has taken to investigate with the British Standards Institute the specifications for a standard for (a) firearms and (b) ammunition enclosure for use in domestic premises in Northern Ireland for sporting firearms and ammunition.
Mr. Cope [holding answer 23 January 1990] : None directly, but the Royal Ulster Constabulary has contributed to the Home Office study with the British Standards Institute on the subject.
Mr. William Ross : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland whether the Royal Ulster Constabulary issues a receipt for each firearm taken into the possession of the police when a firearm certificate is not renewed.
Column 102
Mr. Cope [holding answer 23 January 1990] : The Chief Constable of the Royal Ulster Constabulary has informed me that an official receipt is given in such circumstances.
Mr. William Ross : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland whether the Royal Ulster Constabulary issues reminders to the holders of firearms certificates before the expiry of the certificates (a) before the renewal of the certificate and (b) before the normal period taken to process such a renewal application.
Mr. Cope [holding answer 23 January 1990] : The Chief Constable of the Royal Ulster Constabulary has informed me that a reminder is sent to the firearm certificate holder one month prior to the month in which his certificate is due for renewal. A final reminder is sent one month after the end of the month in which the certificate was due for renewal. Local police may also contact the firearm certificate holder if they consider it justified.
Mr. William Ross : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland whether, within the last three years, any firearm in Northern Ireland was taken into the possession of the police because the owner's firearm certificate had not been processed and returned before the expiry date, in cases where the certificate had been sent, or given to the police for renewal before the expiry date.
Mr. Cope [holding answer 23 January 1990] : The Chief Constable of the Royal Ulster Constabulary has informed me that the information is not available in the form requested and could only be obtained at disproportionate cost. If the hon. Gentleman has any specific case in mind, I will make inquiries.
Harland and Wolff
Dr. Godman : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement concerning the disposal of Harland and Wolff and that shipyard's present and future work load.
Mr. Needham [holding answer 25 January 1990] : The sale of the Harland and Wolff business to a new company set up by the management and employees backed by Fred Olsen was completed on 8 September 1989. As the company is no longer in public ownership, it would be inappropriate for me to comment on its work load.
Fair Employment Commission
Mr. John D. Taylor : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland whether the Fair Employment Commission was requested to register in accordance with the Fair Employment (Northern Ireland) Act 1989 prior to the nominated date of 15 January 1990 ; and how many persons are presently employed by the Fair Employment Commission.
Mr. Needham [holding answer 26 January 1990] : The Fair Employment Commission is specified as a public authority in the Fair Employment (Specification of Public Authorities) Order (Northern Ireland) 1989 and is therefore automatically treated as registered under the Act. At 19 January 1990, the commission employed 34 staff.
Column 103
EMPLOYMENT
Earnings
Mr. Austin Mitchell : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what is his estimate of the increase in average earnings each year for manuals and non-manuals in the private sector less manufacturing, based on the weighted average difference between the figures given in his letter of 11 January and those for the public sector as a whole.
Mr. Nicholls : The calculation requested would not be meaningful, for the reasons stated in my letter to the hon. Member.
Mr. Austin Mitchell : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment, pursuant to his answer of 20 December 1989, Official Report, column 235, whether he will publish in the Official Report the information supplied in his letter of 11 January, together with his best estimate of the numbers currently employed in (a) each of the specified categories, (b) manufacturing in the public sector and (c) private sector other than manufacturing.
Mr. Nicholls : I refer the hon. Member to my reply to him on 18 January 1990 at columns 396--98. The remaining earnings information requested is provided in the table.
Estimates of the numbers in employment for the categories requested are not available except for non-manual male employees in manufacturing, of which there were 917,300 employees in September 1989, the latest available estimate.
Percentage increase in weekly and hourly earnings of
full-time adult
male employees (a)
Manual
Not in public sector
April of each |Weekly |Hourly
year |earnings |earnings
|per cent. |per cent.
--------------------------------------------------------
1980(b) |18.6 |20.4
1981(b) |8.1 |11.2
1982(b) |10.1 |9.9
1983(c) |7.5 |7.7
1984 |8.9 |7.7
1985 |8.1 |7.7
1986 |6.3 |6.6
1987 |7.0 |6.7
1988 |8.1 |6.8
1989 |9.5 |8.8
Notes:
(a) average gross weekly and hourly earnings, not
affected by absence, for those on adult rates;
manufacturing as defined in the 1980 SIC (but see notes
(b) and (c)).
(b) males aged 21 and over on all rates; 1968 SIC
definition of manufacturing.
(c) males aged 21 and over on all rates; 1980 SIC
definition of manufacturing.
Home Workers
Mr. Vaz : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what plans he has to provide equal employment rights for home workers.
Mr. Nicholls : Home workers who are employees already have the same employment rights as other employees.
Column 104
Employment Training
Dr. Thomas : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will identify the relevant costs per head for employment training trainees participating in the programme through training managers who operate nationally and locally in the voluntary sector.
Mr. Nicholls : Information on the cost per trainee in employment training for training managers which are voluntary organisations is not available.
Ms. Short : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment, what are the statistics for Great Britain and each Training Agency region, for each month since October 1989 showing the results of new client adviser interviews with people who want to register as unemployed, broken down in the same categories as in his answer of 30 October 1989, Official Report, columns 1-2.
Mr. Eggar : As the information requested is contained in a number of tables, I will write to the hon. Member, and place a copy of my letter in the Library.
Tourism
Mr. Lee : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what is the latest national estimate of the numbers of (a) white on brown tourism signs and (b) tourist information centres.
Mr. Nicholls : A figure for the total number of white on brown tourist signs is not readily available and could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.
There are currently 581 tourist information centres in England.
Health and Safety Executive
Mr. Andrew F. Bennett : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many individuals are currently circulated with the following minutes of Health and Safety Commission meetings (i) commission minutes, (ii) management board minutes, (iii) chief inspectors management meeting minutes and (iv) executive minutes ; if he has knowledge of any proposals to extend the current circulation ; and if he will place copies of these in the Library.
Mr. Nicholls : The circulation of these minutes is an internal matter for the Health and Safety Commission and Executive.
Mr. Strang : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many prosecutions have been undertaken by the Health and Safety Executive under section 6 of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 ; and how many of these were successful.
Mr. Nicholls [holding answer 29 January 1990] : From 1975- 1980, HSE's factory inspectorate laid 130 informations under section 6, of which 110 resulted in convictions, while five informations were withdrawn. In the period 1981 to the end of the financial year 1987-88 (the latest year for which figures are currently available), the factory and agricultural inspectorate laid 224 informations, of which 184 were successful and 17 withdrawn. Data on section 6 prosecutions taken by other inspectorates within HSE cannot be provided without disproportionate cost.
Column 105
Building Safety Regulations
Sir Trevor Skeet : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment whether he proposes to introduce new building safety regulations to accommodate contemporary requirements in the glass and ceramic industry.
Mr. Nicholls : [holding answer 29 January 1990] : I am informed by the chairman of the Health and Safety Commission that there are no current plans for new regulations concerning glazed structures under the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974.
However, my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for the Environment is proposing to issue a consultative paper including proposals for requirements relating to safety glazing under the Building Regulations 1985.
Council of Ministers
Mr. Robertson : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment who will represent his Department at the social affairs meetings of the Council of Ministers on 1 and 2 March, and 26 and 27 April ; and what the agenda will be for both meetings.
Mr. Eggar : I expect to attend the informal meeting of the Labour and Social Affairs Council on 1 and 2 March. The agenda is expected to include discussions on long-term unemployment, training in eastern Europe and the social dialogue.
It is likely that a Social Security Minister will attend the informal Social Security Ministers Council on 26 and 27 April. This will depend on the agenda, which is not yet known.
Repetitive Strain Injury
Mr. Ashley : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment (1) if he will give details of the research project into repetitive strain injury being planned by the Health and Safety Executive ; when it started ; when it is expected to finish ; what are the objectives ; and what will be the total cost ;
(2) if he will place in the Library the two studies on repetitive strain injury which have just been completed for the Health and Safety Executive by the universities of Birmingham and Edinburgh.
Mr. Nicholls : The report of the study carried out by the Institute of Occupational Medicine in Edinburgh is found in the Library, Deposited Paper No. 5131. The Health and Safety Executive is still awaiting the report from the university of Birmingham. The executive is currently supporting a small study at the Institute of Occupational Medicine in Edinburgh, which follows on from the earlier project. The current study aims to produce an ergonomic guide or assessment aid which will enable non- experts to identify work activities which may lead to upper limb disorders. It started on 1 October 1989, finishes on 31 March 1990 and will cost £17,783. Negotiations are currently taking place between the Health and Safety Executive and the institute on possible support for research into upper limb disorders occurring in keyboard operators.
Mr. Ashley : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment when the Health and Safety Executive plans to publish guidelines aimed at preventing repetitive strain injury ; and what plans he has to publicise these guidelines.
Column 106
Mr. Nicholls : The Health and Safety Executive plans to publish guidance entitled "Work Related Upper Limb Disorders : A Guide to Prevention" in spring this year. The guidance will be publicised by means of a press notice. The executive's inspectors and employment medical advisers will bring it to the attention of employers in the course of their duties. The HSE is also producing clinically oriented guidance for occupational health professionals and a check list and risk assessment guide aimed at employers.
Action for Jobs"
Mr. Terry Davis : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how much of the expenditure on printed material for "Action for Jobs" in 1985- 86, 1986-87 and 1987-88 was spent through the Central Office of Information.
Mr. Eggar : All the expenditure on producing and distributing printed material for "Action for Jobs" during the periods 1985-86, 1986-87 and 1987-88 was spent through the Central Office of Information.
Training Agency
Mr. Strang : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what arrangements the Training Agency is making to monitor the quality of the corporate plans presented by prospective training executive councils ; and when he expects to place copies of these plans in the Library.
Mr. Eggar [holding answer 24 January 1990] : Corporate plans submitted by training and enterprise councils will be assessed by the national training task force under the chairmanship of Brian Wolfson. The task force's recommendation will be forwarded to me for approval.
The contract between my Department and the TEC will require that a full copy of the plan must be made available to the public at the registered office of the TEC. The contract will also provide that the TEC publishes a summary of the plan within three months of the start of the plan. I shall arrange for these summaries to be placed in the Library as they become available.
Coal Mines
Mr. Dobson : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment (1) how many major injuries were suffered by men in mines operated by British Coal in 1978-79 and each succeeding year ;
(2) how many major injuries were suffered by men in private licensed mines in 1978-79 and each succeeding year ;
(3) how many men were killed in mines operated by British Coal in 1978-79 and each succeeding year.
Mr. Nicholls [holding answers 29 January 1990] : It is not possible separately to identify fatal and major injuries in British Coal and licensed coal mines before 1985-86 without incurring disproportionate costs. The following tables give the information that is valuable to Her Majesty's inspectorate of mines.
|Major injuries|Fatal injuries
|at all coal |at all coal
|mines |mines
------------------------------------------------------------
1978 |494 |63
1979 |473 |46
1980 |512 |42
<1>1981 |815 |35
1982 |865 |38
1983 |824 |30
<2>1984-85 |378 |22
<1> The introduction of NADO Regulations 1980 on 1 January
1981 widened the coverage of the serious injury category.
Figures from 1981 are therefore not directly comparable
with those for earlier years.
<2> Covering the 15 month period January 1984-March 1985.
|Major injuries|Major injuries|Fatal injuries
|at licensed |at British |at British
|coal mines |coal mines |coal mines
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
<1>1985-86 |17 |715 |28
1986-87 |30 |952 |15
1987-88 |27 |729 |9
<1> The introduction of the RIDDOR Regulations 1985 on 1 April 1986
further widened the major injury category.
Mr. Dobson : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment whether the mines inspectorate received copies of the annual reports of the National Coal Board and the British Coal Corporation in each year since 1978-79.
Mr. Nicholls [holding answer 29 January 1990] : The Health and Safety Executive's mines inspectorate has received copies of these annual reports.
DEFENCE
Firearms Range, Cardiff
Mr. William Ross : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will place in the Library a copy of his Department's report into the condition and maintenance of the national sports centre, Cardiff indoor firearms range completed between July and December 1989 following the incident which led to the temporary closure of the range last summer.
Mr. Archie Hamilton : The report on the condition of the indoor range at the national sports centre, Cardiff was provided by the Army in its capacity as safety advisor to the Sports Council of Wales. Decisions about the publication of the report and the future of the range are matters for the Sports Council of Wales.
Low Flying
Mr. Amos : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will ensure that, henceforth, information will be gathered to establish the amount of low-flying activity over Northumberland ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Neubert : My right hon. Friend has no plans to do so.
Captain Fred Holroyd
Mr. Livingstone : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence on what date the Royal Military Police interviewed Captain Fred Holroyd, retired, concerning the Kincora boys' home as referred to in his reply to the Adjournment debate on 29 November 1989, Official Report, column 819.
Column 108
Mr. Archie Hamilton [holding answer 15 January 1990] : Captain Holroyd was initially interviewed by the Royal Military Police about Kincora on 22 May 1982.
Mr. Colin Wallace
Mr. Michael Marshall : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether he will make a statement about the allegations of Mr. Colin Wallace concerning the activities of the Army and of the security service in Northern Ireland during the 1970s and about Mr. Wallace's appeal against his dismissal from the Civil Service for disclosing a classified document to an unauthorised person on 4 February 1975.
Mr. Archie Hamilton : In the course of recent work in dealing with parliamentary inquiries about the case of Mr. Colin Wallace, records have been found which have brought to light new information relating to matters which arose under earlier Administrations. Ministers have not, of course, been told what advice was given to former Labour Ministers, nor what views they expressed, with the exception of decisions by the then Attorney- General. I think it right to report this new information to the House. My noble Friends Lord Carrington and Lord Whitelaw, the noble Lord, Lord Mason, and the right hon. Member for Morley and Leeds South (Mr. Rees) have been consulted about the terms of this statement.
As the House knows, Mr. Wallace accepted on 15 March 1968 an appointment as an assistant information officer at the Army's Northern Ireland command headquarters (HQNI). He became an established information officer from 14 December 1971 and a senior information officer with effect from 27 September 1974, having first held this latter post on temporary promotion.
Mr. Wallace left HQNI for the Army's north-west district headquarters on 4 February 1975, having handed over his duties at HQNI on 31 January 1975. On 4 February 1975 Mr. Wallace delivered a restricted document at the home of a journalist, without any authority to do so. On 25 June 1975, Mr. Wallace was informed that he would be dismissed from the Civil Service for this action. He appealed to the Civil Service Appeal Board, which heard his case on 17 October 1975. The CSAB concluded that there was justification for the Department's decision that Mr. Wallace's services could not be retained : but that, having regard to his previous good record of service, if Mr. Wallace wished to offer his resignation, the Department should accept this as an alternative to dismissal. Mr. Wallace resigned with effect from 31 December 1975.
Mr. Wallace claimed in his appeal that his action in passing the document to the journalist was done with the intention of safeguarding the interests of the Department, and that it was in accordance with his terms of reference and the nature of his duties. He said that those duties included unattributable briefing of journalists, which sometimes included the revelation of privileged and sensitive information ; and that he often had to exercise his judgment as to how much information he could reveal.
In its statement to the CSAB, the Ministry of Defence accepted that the duties of the post, as described in the job specification set out in the relevant trawl notice, came in practice to include some kinds of unattributable briefing. Mr. Wallace claimed that the job specification given in the
Column 109
trawl notice dealt only with his straightforward public relations duties and that there was also a further job specification classified secret.MOD did not contest the evidence on Mr. Wallace's behalf, but it did not acknowledge the existence of a supplementary job specification ; nor did it make a copy available, as Mr. Wallace had requested. More recently, the existence of any supplementary job specification has been denied ; and indeed no evidence has been found in the documentation still available that Mr. Wallace was given any formal supplementary directive or job specification.
However, the papers which have now come to light indicate that, when the case was made to establish Mr. Wallace's post, it was proposed that its duties should include responsibilities for providing unattributable covert briefings to the press ; and it was stated that the incumbent would be required to make on-the-spot decisions on matters of national security during such interviews. It seems that, in the event, the arguments for including these responsibilities in Mr. Wallace's job description were made orally rather than in writing to those who approved the establishment of the SIO post. But presumably Mr. Wallace was told what duties he was expected to carry out ; and indeed it would appear that he had already been undertaking unattributable briefing activities of this kind, which may have included disinformation. It has not since the mid 1970s been the policy to disseminate disinformation in Northern Ireland in ways designed to denigrate individuals and/or organisations or for propaganda purposes. That remains the case. The fact remains that the disciplinary offence with which Mr. Wallace was charged was committed after he had relinquished his post at HQNI ; that he sought no authority for the disclosure from his successors or from his former superiors ; that he did not even report what he had done ; and that if he had sought permission for his proposed action he would certainly not have received it. Whilst he attempted to argue that he had not completed the handover of his duties at HQNI at the time that he made the disclosure, it seems clear that the CSAB did not accept that argument.
Nevertheless, in the light of this re-examination of the papers it would be right to consider again the handling of Mr. Wallace's appeal to the CSAB.
Accordingly, my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Defence has invited Mr. David Calcutt QC, the Master of Magdalene College Cambridge, to make an investigation of the papers on these matters. Mr. Calcutt has agreed to do so. His terms of reference will be as follows :
"To consider, and to advise the Secretary of State for Defence, whether an injustice was done to Mr. Colin Wallace as a result of the manner in which his case was presented to the Civil Service Appeal Board when on 17 October 1975 it considered the decision of the Ministry of Defence to terminate his employment on disciplinary grounds ; and, if so, to recommend whether compensation should be paid to him."
Procedures will be discussed with Mr. Calcutt to ensure that he sees all relevant papers in circumstances that protect their confidentiality. Mr. Wallace will, of course, be able to make representations to him. My Department is writing to Mr. Wallace to advise him how he should do so. Mr. Calcutt's conclusions and recommendations will be made public ; but classified matters and material will not, of course, be published.
For the avoidance of doubt, I should make it clear that the re-examination of departmental papers has revealed no
Column 110
evidence at all that the decision to terminate Mr. Wallace's employment was taken for reasons other than his serious lack of judgment in disclosing classified information to the media without having proper authority to do so.I should also like to take this opportunity to correct a number of errors in previous statements which have now come to notice as a result of the re- examination of departmental papers.
Some of Mr. Wallace's allegations relate to a project with the title "Clockwork Orange". Two documents have been found dating from 1975 which contain brief references to a proposed project with that title : the second of these documents was clearly based on the first. It appears that this title was given to a project contemplating the dissemination of an account of the organisation and activities of PIRA. The documents show that Mr. Wallace was involved in the project. The documents also state that the project was not cleared. No evidence has been found that, before work on the "Clockwork Orange" project was stopped, it had been extended to cover Protestant organisations and individuals or to include Northern Irish and British politicians, as Mr. Wallace has alleged. As my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister stated on 6 May 1987 at column 723-732, allegations that the Security Service was engaged, during the mid and late 1970s, in a plot to destabilise Lord Wilson's Government were thoroughly investigated by the then director general, who gave her his personal assurance that these stories were false.
I should also make it clear that the new information which has come to light does not substantiate Mr. Wallace's allegations of a cover-up relating to the Kincora boys' hostel in Belfast. If, nevertheless, Mr. Wallace has allegations that he wishes to press about criminal activity or other wrongdoing in Northern Ireland, then the best way for him to deal with this is to give any information in his possession to the RUC in the first instance : if this information is classified, he should first consult the Director of Army Security.
I am writing to my hon. Friend the Member for Arundel (Mr. Marshall) and to the hon. Members for Linlithgow (Mr. Dalyell) and for Brent, East (Mr. Livingstone) about some further points of detail which require correction or classification. I will place copies of my letters in the Library of the House.
I greatly regret that the fact that relevant records were not brought to Ministers' attention has in recent years caused inaccurate statements to be made to the House and in both ministerial and official correspondence. I have thought it right to correct these inaccuracies forthwith ; and to settle once and for all the allegations of injustice to Mr. Wallace over his appeal to the CSAB by arranging the investigation by Mr. Calcutt.
ENERGY
Scottish Electricity
Mr. Dunnachie : To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what progress has been made in the work to expand the capacity of the interconnector allowing the purchase by English distribution companies of electricity generated in Scotland.
Mr. Baldry : I understand that the SSEB and the National Grid Company are preparing the necessary
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