[(Encl. to p.3. E.B. 28/2) Copy on HP/24.]
Note for Executive Board.
Meetings addressed by leading Party speakers .

Some difficulty has arisen in connection with two of the rules followed in arranging meetings. These rules are:

1. The Ministry is not to stimulate the demand for meetings, but it may meet an expressed demand.

2. The Ministry will not send speakers a long way for one meeting.

When a Local Information Committee asks for a well-known speaker to address a single meeting, it has been the practice, if the R.I.O is satisfied that there is a real demand for the meeting and that it has every chance of being a success, to enquire from the other Information Committees in the Region who have asked to be informed when any prominent speaker may be visiting the neighbourhood, whether they wish to arrange a meeting for this same speaker. In this way a programme of meetings is built up sufficient to warrant a journey, say, from London to Newcastle and the instructions laid down in rule 2 are observed.

A difficulty arises, however, when, having followed this approved procedure, and it happens that the speakers visiting a Region are of the same political complexion. In this situation the Ministry lays itself open to the accusation that one Party is being favoured.

To get over this difficulty, it would seem to be necessary to instruct R.I.Os to keep a watch on the situation and, where necessary, to consult with the Public Meetings Branch and suggest that a speaker of another Political Party be invited to address a series of meetings in the Region and thus maintain the balance. This procedure would seem to be indicated by commonsense; but as it will involve some deviation from the principle laid down in Rule 1 quoted above, the D.G. has asked that the matter be considered by the Executive Board.

I.S.M.

20th February, 1941.