§ COLONEL HUGHES - HALLETT (Rochester)(for Admiral MAYNE (Pembroke and Haverfordwest) asked, the First Lord of the Admiralty, Whether he has observed that what appears to be the full text of the instructions to the Intelligence Department of the Navy has been published in the newspapers; and whether this was done with, the sanction of the Board; and, if not, whether he proposes to take any steps to prevent the publication of documents of an evidently confidential character by some person or persons in his Department?
§ THE FIRST LORD (Lord GEORGE HAMILTON) (Middlesex, Ealing)The document in question was confidential, and the information which led to the publication of the instructions to the Intelligence Department constituted a grave breach of trust on the part of someone in the Admiralty. Means were recently adopted which it was hoped would have stopped the supply of information to the public except through the authorized channels. In a large and scattered establishment like the Admiralty reliance must, to a large extent, be placed on the good faith of its staff. It is much to be regretted that this sense of integrity has been found wanting in some one member of the Establishment unknown. The Admiralty will not cease to use every endeavour to prevent the publication of such papers in future.
§ MR. CHILDERS (Edinburgh, S.)Can the noble Lord say whether the Admiralty made any investigation as to 1084 the previous leaking out of a memorandum on precisely the same subject?
§ LORD GEORGE HAMILTONA very careful and elaborate inquiry was made, and I believe the means were ascertained.
§ MR. CHILDERSCan they be stated without disadvantage to the Public Service?
§ LORD GEORGE HAMILTONIt became public by means by which a great many other documents have become known—through the waste paper basket.