A/662.
Copy to CN/334
Draft for an Official Circular
EXECUTIVE BOARD
Tuesday, 11th February 1941

Use of Material intercepted by Censorship

1. The Ministry of Information must treat any communication which has been intercepted by Press Censorship or Postal and Telegraph Censorship as strictly confidential.

2. It may be circulated only:

(i) to obtain official advice as to its treatment, i.e. whether it should be transmitted or stopped.

(ii) for the information of those whose official work may be affectedly the contents of the message,

3. Any officer of the Ministry who circulates an intercept, either originally or subsequently from a copy which has been circulated to him, will be held responsible that

(a) circulation is confined to the two purposes above-mentioned,

(b) circulation is limited to responsible officers,

(c) the number of copies is kept to the minimum,

(d) where possible excerpts or paraphrases are used for information purposes, and the original intercept used only for official advice on treatment.

4. An intercept may not be used in any way which might disclose directly or indirectly to the sender or the addressee that it had been seen by anyone other than officials of the censorship, or to the public generally that messages were liable to be used outside the censorship.

5. Negligence in observing these rules will be regarded as a serious breach of discipline, and any use of intercept material for non-official purposes or disclosure of it to persons not officially concerned is an offence under the Official Secrets Act.

N.G.S.

8.2.41.