§ 45. Mr. Cooperasked the Lord President of the Council if it is the intention of the Government to set up a representative national advisory council for the Central Office of Information along the lines of the Post Office Advisory Council, and including Members of Parliament.
§ The Lord President of the Council (Mr. Herbert Morrison)No, Sir. I do not think that such a council could effectively assist the Central Office of Information. Its responsibilities lie directly to the Ministerial Departments which it serves as a common production agency and by which it is appropriately advised.
§ Mr. CooperDoes my right hon. Friend recall that it was as a result of the recommendations of the Bridgeman Committee that looked into the inefficiency of the Post Office that an Advisory Council was set up, and does he not consider that this is a parallel case that justifies the setting up of an advisory council for the Central Office of Information?
§ Mr. MorrisonI am familiar with the recommendations of the Bridgeman Committee to which my hon. Friend refers, but I think there is no real analogy between the constitution, status and set-up of the Post Office and that of the Central Office of Information, which is the instrument of a whole series of State Departments.
§ Mr. W. R. WilliamsWill my right hon. Friend bear in mind that so far as the Post Office Advisory Council is concerned a serious omission in its make-up is that the workers in the industry are not represented on the Council?
§ Mr. MorrisonI think that question should be addressed to the Postmaster-General.