HM Treasury and Civil Service Department: Establishments and Manning: Security Vetting...

This series contains security vetting appeals files. It consists of files on the administration of the Three Advisers panels, established to decide whether civil servants found to be associated with the Communist Party should be moved away from contact with work vital to the security of the state. The series contains files on cases submitted to them.

• Civil Service Department, Management (Personnel) Branch 5, 1968-1972
• Civil Service Department, Personnel Management Group, 1973-1981
• Treasury, Establishment Department, 1919-1962

From 2004 Cabinet Office

Topics

Communism

On March 15 1948 Prime Minister Atlee announced in the House of Commons that no-one who was known to be a member of the Communist Party or to be associated with it in such a way as to raise legitimate doubts about his or her reliability was to be employed in connection with work the nature of which was vital to the security of the state.

The cases of civil servants (and subsequently civil service unions officials) who came to notice as within the ambit of the prime minister's statement were submitted to the respective departmental ministers and if the minister concerned certified that a prima facie case of communist association had been made the civil servant was offered the opportunity to proffer the names of character referees and to make representations in the matter to a panel of three advisers. The panel's report was then submitted to the departmental minister, who made the decision whether the person concerned was to be moved away from contact with work vital to the security of the state.

The procedure was set out in Treasury Establishments Circular No 21/52, and re-issued in Circular No 9/57.