Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what access is given to civilian contractors at HMNB Clyde and RNAD Coulport aboard and alongside nuclear armed submarines; what vetting is required for civilian personnel; how many civilian contractors from each company have been (i) refused security clearance at the base and (ii) had their security clearance revoked; and what the reason was in each instance in each of the last five years.

All personnel are required to undergo the appropriate level of National Security Vetting (NSV) for the role they undertake, in accordance with Her Majesty's Government's Security Policy Framework. In addition, Her Majesty's Naval Base Clyde and Royal Navy Armament Depot Coulport operate on a "need for access" and "need to know" basis, which means that even permanent staff are prohibited from entering areas outside of their remit.

The information requested in answer to your further questions is not held centrally and could only be provided at disproportionate cost. Security clearance applications can be denied or security clearances withdrawn for a number of reasons. It is not our policy to comment on specific vetting cases.