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can of course cover a range of material from "in Confidence" to classified. Notes will be taken by the Clerk during any meetings of this sort, and after the visit a short summarised version of the notes is prepared, though it would not contain any classified material (assuming the Committee had infact received classified information). These notes are then circulated to Committee Members with a note stating that they are in-confidence to the Committee; the Committee knows that all informal meetings are held on an unattributable basis and Members therefore fully understand the position. These notes are later used, often quite extensively, in the Committee's Report but none of the content is attributable unless, of course, those concerned have indicated clearly that they do not mind about this aspect (which is unlikely).
6. Mr Hutton did however make the point that it is the responsibility of the Officials being questioned to ensure that the Committee is aware when/if they touch upon information which is classified.
7. If classified information is given orally the Committee would (with the post's agreement) extract such information from the notes and give it to the post for fowarding to London by bag. The information would be typed separately, classified, and be made available to members of the Committee only within the Committee Office.
By
Faile
S F Bailey
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