§ 37. Sir Leonard Lyleasked the Minister of Information whether he can give an assurance that it is a standing instruction of the Postal and Telegraph Censorship that no private letter is copied and circulated for the information of permanent and temporary civil servants unless it is essential for those civil servants to see the material in the interests of the Defence of the Realm.
§ The Minister of Information (Mr. Brendan Bracken)If, as I assume, my hon. Friend includes the efficient prosecution of the war in the term "Defence of the Realm" I can give him the assurance for which he asks. The instructions as to what information shall be reported to any Government Department are kept under constant review, and the principal object of that review is to ensure that the contents of a letter are not reported unless it is essential for the carrying out of the duties of that Department directly relating to the prosecution of the war.