asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make it his policy not to take disciplinary action against staff at Government Communications Headquarters, Cheltenham, who have rejoined their unions until the conclusion of discussions on the subject between union leaders and the Cabinet Secretary; and if he will make a statement.

On 9 May the general secretaries of the Civil Service trade unions made representations to the Secretary of the Cabinet about members of staff at Government communications headquarters who notified management that they had joined or rejoined a union contrary to the undertaking they had previously given. The Secretary of the Cabinet agreed to consider their representations and that in the meantime no action would be taken against those concerned.