SECRET
EXECUTIVE BOARD
Monday, 27th January 1941

Present :

D.G.

D.D.G.

Mr. Harvey

Lord Davidson

Mr. Radcliffe

Mr. Fraser

Mr. Macgregor

Mr. Gates

Mr. Waddell (Secretary)

1. The D.G. remarked before the commencement of the meeting that Mr. Wendell Willkie was visiting the Ministry that morning to attend a Press Conference, It was hoped that the Minister would be able to see him before he left.

2. The minutes of the meeting on 24th January were taken as read and approved.

3. Representation on Committees

The draft circular prepared by the D.D.G. was discussed and approved. The D.G. referred to the importance of adequate representation of the Ministry on the Standing Departmental Committee on Censorship, and the D.D.G. gave an account of a discussion at a recent meeting of the Committee. It was agreed that the Ministry's representation should be reviewed by the D.D.G.

[Extracted to A/437]

Mr. Harvey referred to meetings of the Joint Planning Sub-Committee on which Mr. Leigh Ashton had until recently been the representative of the Ministry. It had been felt that the Ministry should properly be represented by a member of the Enemy and Occupied Territories Division, and Mr. Law had attended the last meeting in this capacity. The business transacted was regarded as strictly secret and it was up to Mr. Law to mention to particular members of the Ministry's staff any matter with which they might be directly concerned. Mr. Harvey also referred to the Morton Committee, attended by Mr. Law as the Ministry's representative and the Campbell Committee, attended by Major Hamilton.

Mr. Macgregor referred to a Committee on broadcasting in the Colonies. It was agreed that this particular committee should be attended by both Mr. Macgregor and Mr. Hodson.

4. Review of scripts for broadcasts

The D.G. referred to a ruling given the previous day by the Prime Minister that no Minister other than a member of the War Cabinet should broadcast without the Prime Minister himself approving the occasion and the Minister of Information approving the script. It was agreed (a) that the D.G. after consulting the Minister should write to Sir Edward Bridges suggesting that the Cabinet Offices might issue an instruction to Departments based on the Prime Minister's ruling: (b) that the Broadcasting Division should be responsible for seeing that within the Ministry any Division concerned should be consulted on the script of a proposed broadcast; for this purpose it would be necessary to instruct the B.B.C. that they should send scripts only to the Broadcasting Division. {Reference was also made in the course of discussion to the need for some analogous procedure in regard to broadcasts by General de Gaulle and members of the Allied Governments in this country; Mr. Harvey had written to the Foreign Office about difficulties arising for the Ministry in the case of General de Gaulle.} CN/382.

[B/18]