SECRET
EXECUTIVE BOARD
Wednesday, 15th January 1941

Present:

D.D.G.

Sir Maurice Peterson

Lord Davidson

Sir Kenneth Clark

Mr. Radcliffe

Mr. Fraser

Mr. Macgregor

Mr. Gates

Mr. Bamford

Mr. Macadam

Mr. Rhodes

Mr. Wiltshire

Mr. Waddell (Secretary)

1. Mr. Radcliffe said that he felt some further consideration ought to be given to the decision recorded at 2(b) of the minutes of the meeting on Tuesday, 14th January. It was agreed that the matter should be discussed again on Friday, 17th January. The remaining items in the minutes of 14th January were approved.

2. RESPONSIBILITY OF MINISTRY FOR MAINTAINING SUPPLY OF NEWS TO THE PUBLIC

[ Extracted the RC/191/5/1 ]

The paper which had been circulated was discussed in general terms and then in detail. It was agreed that the primary business of the Ministry must he to see that news got through to the public, and the question for consideration was whether we must also maintain the existing framework of news distribution through the Press. It was agreed that we could not hold ourselves responsible for this in any and every case where a local paper had to go out of production because of heavy bombing or the like, and that the question in fact became a strictly practical one in which the time factor was of great importance.

The points made in the first five paragraphs of the paper were accepted. On paragraphs 6 and 7 it was explained that the Press Association had until recently felt that their emergency arrangements were proof against all but the most severe bombing, but as a result of experience they would now, it was thought, be willing to bear at least a share of the £5,000 required for leasing of certain lines. It was agreed that the Ministry and the Press Association were both interested in seeing that the 249 - 2 -arrangements were the best possible and that we might bear a share up to 50%, if necessary, of the G.P.O. charge. Arrangements were at present in hand for the earmarking of the circuits.

The importance of developing local co-operation between newspapers was emphasised, and it was agreed that local schemes should be prepared and put down on paper wherever possible, following consultation between R.I.O., local G.P.O. representative and local Press representative. It was also agreed that the Press would be extremely anxious to maintain their own production, and that the Ministry ought not to show itself too forthcoming in discussions with their representatives.

In answer to Mr. Macadam, it was explained that the first recourse of an R.I.O., when a paper in his Region seemed likely to be without news, would be to try all the alternative means of getting news through which he would have arranged locally, that he might then have to turn to the B.B.C. news bulletins and thereafter to the service of official bulletins which would be established from the Ministry. It was agreed that arrangements for this service of official bulletins should be planned as soon as possible by consultation between the News Division, Regional Administration Division and Communications Division.

It was agreed that the whole question should be on the agenda for the forthcoming meeting of Regional Information Officers, to whom the arrangements envisaged in the paper should be described.