38. Mr. Arthur Duckworthasked the Minister of Information whether he has now concluded his consultations with the Service Departments concerned with reference to a newspaper article, details of which have been communicated to him; and, in view, of the fact that this article conveyed valuable information to the enemy and was calculated to endanger the lives of officers and men and to prejudice the success of future operations, whether he has now any statement to make?
§ The Minister of Information (Mr. Brendan Bracken)Yes, Sir. I think that my hon. Friend's description of the article in question is rather exaggerated. But the Service Department concerned is conveying a severe warning to the author of the article as to the dangers of any publication which takes a risk on a matter of this sort.
Mr. DuckworthIn all the circumstances of the case, is the right hon. Gentleman really satisfied with the present system of voluntary censorship, and how does it come about that the author of this article was in possession of information of this kind?
§ Mr. BrackenI am absolutely satisfied with the system of censorship. The information 24 that the author in this case possessed was obtained by a very close study, as a technical journalist, of air matters.
§ Mr. ShinwellWhat is all this about? Who is the author, and what is the article?
§ Mr. BrackenThat point was not raised in the Question. The hon. Gentleman had better put another down.
§ Mr. ShinwellIs it right that a Question should be put down of a mysterious character containing no information?
§ Mr. BrackenI am not responsible for the form of the Question.
Mr. DuckworthIs the right hon. Gentleman really satisfied that no incident of this sort will occur in future?
§ Mr. BrackenI can never make any prediction of what may happen in the future, but we have always had the fullest co-operation of the Press in working the censorship, and I do not propose to suggest any change.
§ Mr. BrackenPerhaps, Sir.