Council of Civil Service Unions v Minister for the Civil Service (GCHQ) is a British intelligence agency that provides signals intelligence to the British government and armed forces. Prior to 1983 its existence was not acknowledged, despite the fact that it openly recruited graduates. Following a spy scandal in 1983, the organisation became known to the public, and the government of Margaret Thatcher decided a year later that employees would not be allowed to join a trade union for national security reasons. The Minister for the Civil Service is a position held "ex officio" by the Prime Minister. This was done through an Order in Council, an exercise of the Royal
Queen's Commendation for Valuable Service in the Air ribbons or, in civil airline uniform, on the panel of the left breast pocket. If a recipient has no medals, the badge is worn in the position in which a single ribbon would be worn. The reverse is plain, except for the attachment pin and, in some cases, a registration number. Although renamed the Queen's Commendation for Valuable Service in the Air in 1952, this did not lead to a change of design. All recipients also received a certificate, signed by the appropriate government minister. Approximately 3,000 Commendations for Valuable Service in the Air were awarded, including to service personnel