Written question asked by David Kidney (Labour) on Monday, 19 January 1998, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Tuesday, 27 January 1998. It was answered by Lord Spellar (Labour) on Tuesday, 27 January 1998 on behalf of the Ministry of Defence Police.

Ministry of Defence;Ministry of Defence Police

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, for what reasons the Chief Constable of the Ministry of Defence Police published a force order on 29th March 1995 to withhold the transfer of terms applicable to officers' postings; and if he intends to review this practice. - Text of letter from Walter Boreham of Ministry of Defence Police (MDP).

Answer: Mr. Kidney: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence for what reasons the Chief Constable of the Ministry of Defence Police published a force order on 29 March 1995 to withhold the transfer of terms applicable to officers' postings; and if he intends to review this practice. [24517] Mr. Spellar: This is a matter for the Chief Constable of the Ministry of Defence Police (MDP). I have asked the Chief Constable to write to my hon. Friend. Letter from Walter Boreham to Mr. David Kidney, dated 27 January 1998: I am replying to your Question to the Secretary of State for Defence about the publication of the transfer terms of Ministry of Defence Police (MDP) officers, as this falls into my area of responsibility, as Chief Constable/Chief Executive of the Ministry of Defence Police Agency. In March 1995 my Personnel Department concluded that the transfer terms of individual officers were a private matter between the officer and the Personnel Department. Accordingly, with effect from 29 March 1995, details of such transfer terms ceased to be published in my weekly Force Orders. In resource terms the practice of no longer publishing individual officers' transfer terms resulted in reduced staff effort and a minor reduction in the cost of publishing Force Orders. I have no plans to review the current arrangements concerning the publication of the transfer terms of MDP officers' postings.

Secondary information