P.C. PAPER NO.28.

The House is aware that since 9th October last the Ministry of Information has had no responsibility for the communication of news to the Press or for Press censorship. Each Department is responsible for the issue of its own news, while the central machinery for the communication of news to the Press and for the exercise of Press censorship has been operated by the Press and Censorship Bureau under the direction of Sir Walter Monckton. In the light of further experience it has been decided that the Ministry of Information shall resume the functions at present performed by the Press and Censorship Bureau. Each Department remains responsible for the issue of its own news either through the Ministry or simultaneously through the Ministry and its own organisation. Subject to advice from the Ministry on general censorship policy, the Defence Departments are responsible for censorship decisions in all matters where it is necessary to prevent information from reaching the enemy. Parliamentary Questions on specific censorship decisions should be addressed to the Minister in charge of the Department concerned with the subject matter. All other questions affecting censorship should be addressed to the Minister of Information.

In order to strengthen the liaison between the Service Departments and the Ministry and to ensure that the Ministry's point of view is adequately presented, the number of senior service officers attached to the Ministry is being increased, and representatives of the Ministry are being appointed to the Service Departments. Existing arrangements by which the Press have direct access to the Departments will remain undisturbed. The Minister of Information has appointed Sir Walter Monckton to be Deputy Director-General of the Ministry. In order to provide for the necessary collaboration between the Foreign Division of the Ministry of Information, which is responsible for publicity in neutral countries, and the Department of Enemy Propaganda under the Foreign Office, the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, in agreement with the Minister of Information, has appointed Sir Walter Monckton to be an additional Deputy Under-Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs. These changes will take effect immediately. The Department of Postal and Telegraph Censorship, formerly under the War Office, is being transferred forthwith to the Ministry of Information.