TNAG-0525-FCO40-620-Visit-of-UK-Members-of-Parliament-(Defence-and-External-Affa-1975 — Page 222

CONFIDENTIAL

39. When they are aware of the prospective publication of a Select

Committee Report with which they are concerned, the Department should

consider what, if any, form of Press briefing is desirable, eg whether

to issue an immediate Press Notice at the same time as the publication

of the Report or simply to provide material to the Departmental Press

Office against the possibility of Press enquiries. It should be borne

in mind that the Press are entitled to get advance copies at the same

time as the Department (cf. para 37 above), so that questions may arise

almost as soon as the copies are available.

40. It is a point of overriding importance that the Government's

final and considered reply to the specific recommendations of a Select

Committee should be delivered first to Parliament. This means that

nothing in the comments given to the Press (immediately on publication

of the Report or in the intervening period up to the delivery of the

Government's reply) should seem to anticipate that reply. On the

other hand, there is no objection to the provision of relevant back-

ground information or to the correction of mis-statements of fact:

and, if desired, it may be possible to answer specific criticisms or

comments by reference to other paragraphs in the Report or to evidence

given to the Committee and published with the Report. (It is nowadays

the regular practice of Select Committees to publish the evidence with

their Reports, so that any quotation of the evidence in immediate

comment is not a breach of privilege).

questions from the Press about

Committee's recommendations should be answered by saying that they

will be fully considered and answered as soon as possible by an

official reply.

41. Where a Select Committee Report concerns more than one Department,

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