Constitutional Reform and Governance Bill — Should apply to GCHQ — rejected — 3 Nov 2009 at 18:45

The Majority of MPs voted against giving the new Civil Service Commission jurisdiction over civil servants employed in GCHQ.

They did this by voting against a proposed deletion of the third line in the list to Chapter 1 where it outlines the powers to manage the civil service, which says:[1]

This Chapter does not apply to the following parts of the civil service of the State

  • the Secret Intelligence Service;
  • the Security Service;
  • the Government Communications Headquarters;
  • the Northern Ireland Civil Service;
  • the Northern Ireland Court Service.

The debate was brought because in the original versions of the Bill in 2004 the Government had agreed that GCHQ civil servants would be treated under the same system of accountability.[2]

In the debate Conservative and Liberal Democrat MPs pointed out that by not ensuring Chapter One of the Constitutional Reform and Governance Bill applied to GCHQ the appointments to GCHQ would not, by law, have to be made on merit. It was suggested[3] that this left a loophole open enabling political appointments to GCHQ to be made.

The Conservatives abstained from this vote. Conservative MP Oliver Heald has said: "Conservatives decided to give further consideration to the Minister’s comments and the best way forward. We therefore abstained."

Debate in Parliament | Source |

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All Votes Cast - sorted by constituency

MPs for which their vote in this division differed from the majority vote of their party are marked in red. Also shows which MPs were ministers at the time of this vote. You can also see every eligible MP including those who did not vote in this division.

Sort by: Name | Constituency | Party | Vote

NameConstituencyPartyVote
Hywel FrancisAberavonLab (minister)no
Frank DoranAberdeen NorthLab (minister)no
Anne BeggAberdeen SouthLab (minister)no
Mark TamiAlyn and DeesideLab (minister)no
Judy MallaberAmber ValleyLab (minister)no
Geoff HoonAshfieldLabno
Sandra OsborneAyr, Carrick and CumnockLab (minister)no
Margaret HodgeBarkingLab (minister)no
Eric IllsleyBarnsley CentralLab (minister)no
Jeff EnnisBarnsley East and MexboroughLabno
Michael ClaphamBarnsley West and PenistoneLab (minister)no
Angela SmithBasildonLab (minister)no
John MannBassetlawLab (minister)no
Don FosterBathLDem (front bench)aye
Martin LintonBatterseaLabno
Patrick HallBedfordLab (minister)no
Peter RobinsonBelfast EastDUPno
Nigel DoddsBelfast NorthDUP (front bench)no
Alan BeithBerwick-upon-TweedLDem (front bench)aye
Gisela StuartBirmingham, EdgbastonLab (minister)no
Siôn SimonBirmingham, ErdingtonLab (minister)no
Steve McCabeBirmingham, Hall GreenLab (minister)no
Liam ByrneBirmingham, Hodge HillLab (minister)no
Richard BurdenBirmingham, NorthfieldLab (minister)no
Lynne JonesBirmingham, Selly OakLab (minister)no
John HemmingBirmingham, YardleyLDem (front bench)aye
Helen GoodmanBishop AucklandLab (minister)no
Jack StrawBlackburnLab (minister)no
Joan HumbleBlackpool North and FleetwoodLab (minister)no
Gordon MarsdenBlackpool SouthLab (minister)no
Dai DaviesBlaenau GwentIndependentno
David AndersonBlaydonLab (minister)no
Ronnie CampbellBlyth ValleyLabno
Dennis SkinnerBolsoverLab (minister)no
David CrausbyBolton North EastLab (minister)no
Brian IddonBolton South EastLab (minister)no
Ruth KellyBolton WestLabno
Joe BentonBootleLab (minister)no
Terry RooneyBradford NorthLab (minister)no
Gerry SutcliffeBradford SouthLab (minister)no
Roger WilliamsBrecon and RadnorshireLDem (front bench)aye
Sarah TeatherBrent EastLDem (front bench)aye
Dawn ButlerBrent SouthLab (minister)no
Ann KeenBrentford and IsleworthLab (minister)no
Madeleine MoonBridgendLab (minister)no
Ian CawseyBrigg and GooleLab (minister)no
Desmond TurnerBrighton, KemptownLab (minister)no
David LepperBrighton, PavilionLab (minister)no
Kerry McCarthyBristol EastLab (minister)no
Doug NaysmithBristol North WestLab (minister)no
Dawn PrimaroloBristol SouthLab (minister)no
Nick PalmerBroxtoweLab (minister)no
Kitty UssherBurnleyLabno
Janet DeanBurtonLab (minister)no
David ChaytorBury NorthLab (minister)no
Hywel WilliamsCaernarfonPC (front bench)aye
Wayne DavidCaerphillyLab (minister)no
Chris McCaffertyCalder ValleyLabno
David HowarthCambridgeLDem (front bench)aye
Jennifer WillottCardiff CentralLDem (front bench)aye
Alun MichaelCardiff South and PenarthLab (minister)no
Eric MartlewCarlisleLab (minister)no
Nick AingerCarmarthen West and South PembrokeshireLab (minister)no
Jonathan R ShawChatham and AylesfordLab (minister)no
Mark HunterCheadleLDem (front bench)tellaye
Martin HorwoodCheltenhamLDem (front bench)tellaye
Lindsay HoyleChorleyLab (minister)no
Christine RussellCity of ChesterLab (minister)no
Roberta Blackman-WoodsCity of DurhamLab (minister)no
Shona McIsaacCleethorpesLab (minister)no
Martyn JonesClwyd SouthLab (minister)no
Tom ClarkeCoatbridge, Chryston and BellshillLab (minister)no
Bob RussellColchesterLDem (front bench)aye
Kali MountfordColne ValleyLab (minister)no
Betty WilliamsConwyLabno
Jamie ReedCopelandLab (minister)no
Phil HopeCorbyLab (minister)no
Geoffrey RobinsonCoventry North WestLabno
Jim CunninghamCoventry SouthLabno
Laura MoffattCrawleyLabno
Andrew PellingCroydon Centralwhilst Independent (front bench)aye
Malcolm WicksCroydon NorthLabno
Rosemary McKennaCumbernauld, Kilsyth and Kirkintilloch EastLab (minister)no
Ann ClwydCynon ValleyLab (minister)no
Jon CruddasDagenhamLabno
Howard StoateDartfordLab (minister)no
David HansonDelynLab (minister)no
Andrew GwynneDenton and ReddishLab (minister)no
Bob LaxtonDerby NorthLab (minister)no
Margaret BeckettDerby SouthLabno
Shahid MalikDewsburyLab (minister)no
Caroline FlintDon ValleyLabno
Rosie WintertonDoncaster CentralLab (minister)no
Ed MilibandDoncaster NorthLab (minister)no
Gwyn ProsserDoverLab (minister)no
Ian AustinDudley NorthLab (minister)no
Ian PearsonDudley SouthLab (minister)no
Tessa JowellDulwich and West NorwoodLab (minister)no
Russell BrownDumfries and GallowayLab (minister)no
Stewart HosieDundee EastSNP (front bench)aye
Jim McGovernDundee WestLab (minister)no
Willie RennieDunfermline and West FifeLDem (front bench)aye
Steve PoundEaling NorthLab (minister)no
Andrew SlaughterEaling, Acton and Shepherd's BushLab (minister)no
John CummingsEasingtonLab (minister)no
Sammy WilsonEast AntrimDUP (front bench)no
Jo SwinsonEast DunbartonshireLDem (front bench)aye
Stephen TimmsEast HamLab (minister)no
Gregory CampbellEast LondonderryDUP (front bench)no
Christopher HuhneEastleighLDem (front bench)aye
Ian StewartEcclesLab (minister)no
Mark LazarowiczEdinburgh North and LeithLab (minister)no
Nigel GriffithsEdinburgh SouthLab (minister)no
John BarrettEdinburgh WestLDem (front bench)aye
Andrew LoveEdmontonLab (minister)no
Andrew MillerEllesmere Port and NestonLab (minister)no
Colin BurgonElmetLabno
Clive EffordElthamLabno
Joan RyanEnfield NorthLabno
Liz BlackmanErewashLab (minister)no
Ben BradshawExeterLab (minister)no
Eric JoyceFalkirkLabno
Alan KeenFeltham and HestonLab (minister)no
Sharon HodgsonGateshead East and Washington WestLab (minister)no
Vernon CoakerGedlingLab (minister)no
Paul ClarkGillinghamLab (minister)no
Mohammad SarwarGlasgow CentralLab (minister)no
John RobertsonGlasgow North WestLab (minister)no
Ian DavidsonGlasgow South WestLab (minister)no
Lindsay RoyGlenrothesLab (minister)no
Martin CatonGowerLab (minister)no
Quentin DaviesGrantham and Stamfordwhilst Lab (front bench)no
Anthony D WrightGreat YarmouthLab (minister)no
Nick RaynsfordGreenwich and WoolwichLabno
Diane AbbottHackney North and Stoke NewingtonLabno
Linda RiordanHalifaxLab (minister)no
Derek TwiggHaltonLab (minister)no
Bill RammellHarlowLab (minister)no
Tony McNultyHarrow EastLabno
Gareth ThomasHarrow WestLab (minister)no
Michael Jabez FosterHastings and RyeLab (minister)no
John Martin McDonnellHayes and HarlingtonLabaye
Jon TrickettHemsworthLabno
Andrew DismoreHendonLab (minister)no
Paul KeetchHerefordLDem (front bench)aye
Jim DobbinHeywood and MiddletonLab (minister)no
Tom LevittHigh PeakLab (minister)no
Frank DobsonHolborn and St PancrasLabno
Lynne FeatherstoneHornsey and Wood GreenLDem (front bench)aye
Fraser KempHoughton and Washington EastLabno
Celia BarlowHoveLab (minister)no
Greg PopeHyndburnLab (minister)no
Mike GapesIlford SouthLab (minister)no
David CairnsInverclydeLabno
Danny AlexanderInverness, Nairn, Badenoch and StrathspeyLDem (front bench)aye
Chris MoleIpswichLab (minister)no
Jeremy CorbynIslington NorthLabaye
Emily ThornberryIslington South and FinsburyLabno
Don TouhigIslwynLab (minister)no
Stephen HepburnJarrowLab (minister)no
Ann CryerKeighleyLab (minister)no
Des BrowneKilmarnock and LoudounLabno
Diana R. JohnsonKingston upon Hull NorthLab (minister)no
Roger BerryKingswoodLab (minister)no
George HowarthKnowsley North and Sefton EastLab (minister)no
Edward O'HaraKnowsley SouthLab (minister)no
Jimmy HoodLanark and Hamilton EastLab (minister)no
Hilary BennLeeds CentralLab (minister)no
George MudieLeeds EastLab (minister)no
Fabian HamiltonLeeds North EastLab (minister)no
Greg MulhollandLeeds North WestLDem (front bench)aye
Keith VazLeicester EastLab (minister)no
Peter SoulsbyLeicester SouthLab (minister)no
Joan RuddockLewisham, DeptfordLab (minister)no
Gillian MerronLincolnLab (minister)no
Michael ConnartyLinlithgow and East FalkirkLab (minister)no
Maria EagleLiverpool, GarstonLab (minister)no
Louise EllmanLiverpool, RiversideLab (minister)no
Peter KilfoyleLiverpool, WaltonLabno
Nia GriffithLlanelliLab (minister)no
Andy ReedLoughboroughLab (minister)no
Kelvin HopkinsLuton NorthLab (minister)no
Tony LloydManchester CentralLab (minister)no
Graham StringerManchester, BlackleyLab (minister)no
Gerald KaufmanManchester, GortonLab (minister)no
Alan MealeMansfieldLabno
Elfyn LlwydMeirionnydd Nant ConwyPC (front bench)aye
Dai HavardMerthyr Tydfil and RhymneyLab (minister)no
Annette BrookeMid Dorset and North PooleLDem (front bench)aye
Stuart BellMiddlesbroughLab (minister)no
Ashok KumarMiddlesbrough South and East ClevelandLabno
David HamiltonMidlothianLab (minister)no
Phyllis StarkeyMilton Keynes South WestLab (minister)no
Siobhain McDonaghMitcham and MordenLabno
Lembit ÖpikMontgomeryshireLDem (front bench)aye
Angus RobertsonMoraySNP (front bench)aye
Geraldine SmithMorecambe and LunesdaleLab (minister)no
Colin ChallenMorley and RothwellLab (minister)no
Angus MacNeilNa h-Eileanan an IarSNP (front bench)aye
Peter HainNeathLab (minister)no
Jim CousinsNewcastle upon Tyne CentralLab (minister)no
Nick BrownNewcastle upon Tyne East and WallsendLab (minister)no
Paul FarrellyNewcastle-under-LymeLab (minister)no
Jessica MordenNewport EastLab (minister)no
Paul FlynnNewport WestLab (minister)no
Katy ClarkNorth Ayrshire and ArranLab (minister)no
Nick HarveyNorth DevonLDem (front bench)aye
Sylvia HermonNorth DownUUP (front bench)no
Kevan JonesNorth DurhamLab (minister)no
Natascha EngelNorth East DerbyshireLab (minister)no
Menzies CampbellNorth East FifeLDem (front bench)aye
Norman LambNorth NorfolkLDem (front bench)aye
Simon HughesNorth Southwark and BermondseyLDem (front bench)aye
Michael WillsNorth SwindonLab (minister)no
Hilary ArmstrongNorth West DurhamLabno
David TaylorNorth West LeicestershireLab (minister)no
Sally KeebleNorthampton NorthLab (minister)no
Steve WebbNorthavonLDem (front bench)aye
Charles ClarkeNorwich SouthLab (minister)no
John HeppellNottingham EastLab (minister)tellno
Graham AllenNottingham NorthLab (minister)no
Alan SimpsonNottingham SouthLabaye
Bill OlnerNuneatonLab (minister)no
Gordon BanksOchil and South PerthshireLab (minister)no
Huw Irranca-DaviesOgmoreLab (minister)no
Phil WoolasOldham East and SaddleworthLab (minister)no
Michael MeacherOldham West and RoytonLabno
Andrew SmithOxford EastLabno
Evan HarrisOxford West and AbingdonLDem (front bench)aye
Jim SheridanPaisley and Renfrewshire NorthLab (minister)no
Douglas AlexanderPaisley and Renfrewshire SouthLab (minister)no
Gordon PrenticePendleLab (minister)aye
Pete WishartPerth and North PerthshireSNP (front bench)aye
Alison SeabeckPlymouth, DevonportLab (minister)no
Linda GilroyPlymouth, SuttonLab (minister)no
Yvette CooperPontefract and CastlefordLab (minister)no
Kim HowellsPontypriddLabno
Jim FitzpatrickPoplar and Canning TownLab (minister)no
Sarah McCarthy-FryPortsmouth NorthLab (minister)no
Paul TruswellPudseyLabno
Martin SalterReading WestLab (minister)no
Jacqui SmithRedditchLabno
Karen BuckRegent's Park and Kensington NorthLab (minister)no
Chris BryantRhonddaLab (minister)no
Susan KramerRichmond ParkLDemaye
Paul RowenRochdaleLDem (front bench)aye
Sandra GidleyRomseyLDem (front bench)aye
Kevin BarronRother ValleyLab (minister)no
Thomas McAvoyRutherglen and Hamilton WestLab (minister)no
Hazel BlearsSalfordLab (minister)no
Elliot MorleyScunthorpeLab (minister)no
Phil WilsonSedgefieldLab (minister)no
John GroganSelbyLab (minister)no
Richard CabornSheffield CentralLabno
Clive BettsSheffield, AttercliffeLab (minister)no
Meg MunnSheffield, HeeleyLabno
Angela SmithSheffield, HillsboroughLab (minister)no
Paddy TippingSherwoodLab (minister)no
Fiona MactaggartSloughLab (minister)no
Lorely BurtSolihullLDem (front bench)aye
David HeathSomerton and FromeLDem (front bench)aye
William McCreaSouth AntrimDUP (front bench)no
Mark ToddSouth DerbyshireLab (minister)no
Jim KnightSouth DorsetLab (minister)no
Eddie McGradySouth DownSDLPno
Colin BreedSouth East CornwallLDem (front bench)aye
David BorrowSouth RibbleLab (minister)no
Anne SnelgroveSouth SwindonLabno
Stephen LadymanSouth ThanetLabno
John DenhamSouthampton, ItchenLab (minister)no
Alan WhiteheadSouthampton, TestLab (minister)no
John PughSouthportLDem (front bench)aye
Dave WattsSt Helens NorthLab (minister)no
Shaun WoodwardSt Helens SouthLab (minister)no
Andrew GeorgeSt IvesLDem (front bench)aye
David KidneyStaffordLab (minister)no
Charlotte AtkinsStaffordshire MoorlandsLab (minister)no
Barbara FollettStevenageLab (minister)no
Anne McGuireStirlingLabno
Ann CoffeyStockportLab (minister)no
Frank CookStockton NorthLab (minister)no
Dari TaylorStockton SouthLab (minister)no
Mark FisherStoke-on-Trent CentralLabno
Joan WalleyStoke-on-Trent NorthLab (minister)no
Rob FlelloStoke-on-Trent SouthLabno
Lynda WalthoStourbridgeLab (minister)no
Iris RobinsonStrangfordDUP (front bench)no
Keith HillStreathamLab (minister)no
Bill EtheringtonSunderland NorthLabno
Chris MullinSunderland SouthLab (minister)no
Paul BurstowSutton and CheamLDem (front bench)aye
Siân JamesSwansea EastLab (minister)no
Alan WilliamsSwansea WestLab (minister)no
Brian JenkinsTamworthLab (minister)no
Jeremy BrowneTauntonLDem (front bench)aye
Richard Younger-RossTeignbridgeLDem (front bench)aye
David WrightTelfordLab (minister)no
Andrew MacKinlayThurrockLab (minister)no
Sadiq KhanTootingLab (minister)no
Adrian SandersTorbayLDem (front bench)aye
David ClellandTyne BridgeLab (minister)no
Alan CampbellTynemouthLab (minister)no
Chris RuaneVale of ClwydLabno
Angela EagleWallaseyLab (minister)no
David WinnickWalsall NorthLab (minister)no
Bruce GeorgeWalsall SouthLabno
Neil GerrardWalthamstowLab (minister)no
Dan NorrisWansdykeLab (minister)no
John SpellarWarleyLab (minister)no
Helen JonesWarrington NorthLab (minister)no
Helen SouthworthWarrington SouthLab (minister)no
James PlaskittWarwick and LeamingtonLab (minister)no
Claire WardWatfordLab (minister)no
Bob BlizzardWaveneyLab (minister)tellno
Mike HallWeaver ValeLab (minister)no
John HealeyWentworthLab (minister)no
Tom WatsonWest Bromwich EastLab (minister)no
Adrian BaileyWest Bromwich WestLab (minister)no
John McFallWest DunbartonshireLab (minister)no
Lyn BrownWest HamLab (minister)no
Rosie CooperWest LancashireLab (minister)no
Tim FarronWestmorland and LonsdaleLDem (front bench)aye
Neil TurnerWiganLab (minister)no
Mark OatenWinchesterLDem (front bench)aye
Ben ChapmanWirral SouthLab (minister)no
Stephen HesfordWirral WestLab (minister)no
Ken PurchaseWolverhampton North EastLab (minister)no
Pat McFaddenWolverhampton South EastLab (minister)no
Rob MarrisWolverhampton South WestLabno
Michael FosterWorcesterLab (minister)no
Tony CunninghamWorkingtonLab (minister)no
Barbara KeeleyWorsleyLab (minister)no
Ian LucasWrexhamLab (minister)no
Richard TaylorWyre ForestIndependent (front bench)aye
David LawsYeovilLDem (front bench)aye
Albert OwenYnys MônLab (minister)no

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