asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department, further to his reply to the hon. Member for Bury St. Edmunds (Mr. Griffiths) Official Report, 21 July, c. 406, about the position of positive vetting of police officers, whether Mr. Michael Trestrail was vetted as a member of a most senior rank or as a member of the Special Branch; and what types of duties are performed by those officers other than the most senior ranks which have been or will be subject to positive vetting.
The procedure of positive vetting is for posts with regular access to highly classified information. Mr. Trestrail was vetted after a general review of posts in his force by the Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis. The question of positive vetting is decided on the basis of each post's access to information rather than on the type of its duties.