HC Deb 19 February 1946 vol 419 cc962-3
66. Mr. Raikes

asked the Minister of Information why the recent speech delivered by the Lord President of the Council at Peckham was distributed by his Department to the Press on 11th February, 1946.

Mr. H. Morrison

Late in the afternoon of nth February the Ministry of Information were asked by a number of journalists whether they could get for them advance copies of this speech, which was to be given the same evening. It was only when the text of this speech was received at the Ministry that the officer in charge realised that it contained passages of a party political character. He decided that the Press would prefer to receive it informally through him rather than encounter the delay which would result if he returned it. He therefore had a few copies made for the Press representatives who were waiting. No general distribution of the speech was made by the Ministry of Information. I regret, however, that departmental facilities were used in this way, and steps have been taken to prevent a recurrence.

Captain Crookshank

May I ask what exactly is the practice of dealing with Ministry of Information Questions? The Parliamentary Secretary replies to some, the Lord President to others and sometimes neither of them appear. It is very confusing to those of my hon. Friends who want to conduct cross-examinations.

Mr. H. Morrison

As the right hon. and gallant Gentleman knows, the Minister of Information is away and these Questions are distributed and divided according to their nature between myself and my hon. Friend the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Works. I think it is all right. There are certain Questions which I think it best I should take myself. I certainly thought this one, on which I was going to put my head on the block, ought to be taken by myself.

Captain Crookshank

It may be all right but it has not been all right today.

Mr. Godfrey Nicholson

Must not the Ministry of Information be very innocent with regard to a Question without any political allusions in it?

Mr. H. Morrison

It is a fortunate thing that we are all innocent from time to time.