SECRET EXECUTIVE BOARD
Wednesday, 5th February, 1941.

Present:

D. G.

D. D. G

Sir Maurice Peterson

Lord Davidson

Sir Kenneth Clark

Mr. Radcliffe

Mr. Wellington

Mr. Gates

Mr. Waddell (Secretary)

1. Subject to the deletion of the words “Since the work we had done there in connection with Fifth Column activity was of great interest to them” in Minute No. 5, the minutes of the 4th February were taken as read and approved.

The D.G. referred to discussion he had had with Mr. Wellington and Lord Hood following the meeting on 4th February; it had been agreed that it would not generally be possible for proposals for broadcasting by Ministers to come to the D.G.’s notice through the Executive Board. It would, however, be sufficient if the Broadcasting Division saw to it that normally proposals or scripts were referred to the D.G through the D.D.G. In urgent cases, the Minister's Private Secretary should be responsible for informing the D.G. The Broadcasting Division was at present drafting a letter for the D.G to send to Mr. Ogilvie on this question.

[B/18/2]

2. RECORDING THE PRIME MINISTER'S SPEECHES IN PARLIAMENT FOR SUBSEQUENT BROADCASTING.

The D.G. referred to Minute No. 2 of the meeting on 31st January, and said that he had now discussed with the Minister the possibility of securing consent to recordings of the Prime Minister's important speeches being made. The difficulty in the Minister's view lay with Mr. Attlee, and he had agreed to take the matter up with him.

[B/18/11]

3. The D.G. referred to an account which had been given by Mr. Edgar Mower of views attributed to the Prime Minister. The Prime Minister had not accepted Mr. Mower’s account, but it appeared that very little harm had been done, since the American Press had not chosen to take up the story.