§ Sir Archibald Sinclair(by Private Notice) asked the Prime Minister whether the announcement that the chief regional information officers and their staffs are to be abolished means (a) that the Department of the Ministry of Information under Professor John Hilton is also to be abolished; (b) that the plan for all-party regional and constituency committees to collaborate with the Ministry of Information is to be abandoned?
§ The Prime MinisterThe answer to the first part of the question is in the negative. With regard to the second part, the right hon. Gentleman is under a misapprehension. As stated in the public announcement on the subject, my Noble riend's purpose in putting the salaried staff of the regional organisation under notice was
to enable effect to be given with the least possible delay to any changes that may be found necessary.The regional organisation is, in fact, under immediate scrutiny, with a view to simplification and economy.
§ Sir A. SinclairDoes that mean that the fate of these constituency organisations and regional organisations is not yet decided, or that they are to be kept in being and the method of co-ordination of their work is still under consideration?
§ The Prime MinisterIt means that the whole regional organisation is under review. It is proposed to simplify it.