B 2
Page 36
і
partmen
20
that the appropriate precautions are strictly observed in their ch.29the following considerations should be borne in mind:-
(i) While it is within the discretion of Ministers to decide which of their advisers or subordinates should be shown Cabinet papers, the normal rule is that such papers should not be seen by any save their immediate advisers concerned in the formulation of policy. In particular, Cabinet papers should not be circulated as a matter of course to Information Officers or their staffs.
(ii) A Minister who is a member of the Cabinet has responsibilities wider than those of his own Department, and will in that capacity receive some documents which are of no concern to any of his subordinates. (iii) A Parliamentary Private Secretary is not a member of the Government; and the information given to him should be correspondingly limited. Only exceptionally, and with the express authority of his Minister, should he be shown Cabinet or Cabinet Committee papers or other secret official papers. The information given to him should be limited to what is strictly necessary for the discharge of his Parliamentary and political duties. (iv) Documents reflecting the personal views of Ministers are in a special category, and their handling requires special care. It is contrary to the doctrine of collective responsibility to make known the attitude of individual Ministers on matters of policy.
(v) If occasions arise on which it is necessary that any considerable number of officers should be consulted on particular issues arising out of Cabinet memoranda, this should be done by means of minutes addressed to the officers concerned, confined to the particular points on which they are required to advise, thus avoiding a wide circulation of the memoranda themselves.
(vi) Experience has shown that leakages of information have often occurred as a result of the skilful piecing together, by representatives of the Press, of isolated scraps of information gathered from several sources, each in itself apparently of little importance. The only safe rule is, there- fore, never to mention such matters even in the form of guarded allusions, except to those who must be informed of them for reasons of State, until the time has come when disclosure, in whole or in part, is authorised. Reasons of State may require, in appropriate cases, the confidential communication of some information to a responsible editor, lobby correspondent, &c., for purposes of guidance; but such communi- cation is only justified where it can be assured that the confidence and the terms on which it is made are respected.
26. Secrecy cannot, however, be secured solely by rules. restricting the circu- lation of papers. Public business cannot be transacted without a fairly wide dissemination of confidential information within Government circles, and the essential need is for the observance of a high standard of discretion by all who acquire knowledge of such information in the course of their duties an attitude of mind which puts first the interests of the Government as a whole and subordinates everything to that end. It is the duty of Ministers to set this standard of discretion in regard to all confidential matters which come within their knowledge, to give an example to others, and to see that their example is followed.
III.—Ministerial Speeches, Broadcasts, &c.
27. In public speeches Ministers should exercise special care in referring to subjects which are the responsibility of other Ministers. They should keep within the ambit of approved Government policy, and should not anticipate decisions not yet made public. In all cases of doubt they should consult the Minister concerned.
28. The Foreign Office should always be consulted before any mention is made of matters affecting foreign affairs or relations with foreign Powers; and Ministers wishing to refer to matters of defence policy should in all cases first consult the Minister of Defence. Ministers should also be specially careful in referring to Page 37 of 200