CONFIDENTIAL
(c)
exceptionally, a decision is taken to supply classified information to the Committee, it is only made available to them on the clear understanding that it will not be published and will be made available only to Members of the Committee within the Committee Office.
The Committee would, quite naturally, very much like to see more sensitive material than we can provide. They would call it interesting: we would say classified. We have sometimes taken prudent cover behind the caveat "In Confidence". But this has no security meaning for Committee Members and their Clerks. "In Confidence" headings should therefore no longer be used.
In preparing unclassified briefing material for the Committee you should remember that we are aiming for a well-informed dialogue. Obfuscation will not help our case. Please also bear in mind that what may appear to you to be common knowledge or what may have appeared in the informed media may not be so well known to the
Committee.
In short we should aim to be as generous with information as we reasonably can.
FCO RESPONSE TO FAC INQUIRY REPORTS
The Committee have expressed disappointment about the thinness of our responses in recent years. When we do no more than note the Committee's endorsement of our policies, it looks to the FAC like indifference. I shall therefore be looking closely at our drafts in future to ensure that we have been as full and constructive as possible in commenting on their Inquiry reports.
4. The substance of this circular will be incorporated in Parliamentary Relations Unit's guidance memorandum given to Departments and posts involved with FAC inquiries. PRU is of course the co-ordination point for our communications with the FAC, and with Parliament generally. You should therefore ensure that PRU are kept fully informed of all exchanges you may have with Committee Members or Clerks, and not hesitate to seek their guidance.
Patrick Wright
CC1BBS
CONFIDENTIAL
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