SECRET
EXECUTIVE BOARD
Tuesday. January 21st. 1941

Present :

D.G.

D.D.G.

Parliamentary Secretary

Sir Maurice Peterson

Lord Davidson

Sir Kenneth Clark

Mr. Radcliffe

Mr. Fraser

Mr. Wellington

Mr. Gates

Mr. Waddell (Secretary)

1. The Minutes of the meeting on 20th January were taken as read and approved.

2. Export of Periodicals . The paper circulated was discussed. It was agreed that in view of the opinion which had now been received from the Treasury Solicitor, the Ministry must take active steps to end the anomalous position in which it was placed through its former willingness to accept burdens which were properly the business of the Foreign Office and the Home Office. The opportunity provided by the Cabinet Committee referred to in paragraph 8 should be taken to raise the question. It would be necessary for the Minister to explain that the present situation could not be allowed to continue and that two courses were open:

[Copy on HP/336]

(a) The Government must be prepared either to suppress offending newspapers or suspend the publication of them in this country;

(b) If a ban on export is wanted, a new Regulation must be made.

3. Minute 2 of the meeting on the 14th January . Mr. Radcliffe explained that in his view (b) did not provide a satisfactory solution for the Ministry's difficulties. It was agreed that there should be a distinction between items of news to which the Press Liaison Officer should be able to provide an answer and matters affecting policy in a greater or less degree on which he would not be competent to answer. It was felt to be unreasonable that the Press should be allowed general access to officers of the Ministry, and it was agreed that on matters of news, the Press should expect to receive answers to their queries from the Press Liaison Officer, and that on other matters the Press Liaison Officer 260 - 2 -should find out from the Duty Room the name of the officer to whom the Press should be referred for an answer. A list would be prepared of Senior Officers of the Ministry to whom reference might be made in this connection. Mr. Fraser would be the first name on the list and the D.G. the last. An important point would be to see that the Press were not put in direct touch with Duty Room.

It was agreed that minute 2(b) of the Meeting on 14th January should be withdrawn.