HC Deb 02 February 1955 vol 536 cc1073-4
24. Mr. Beswick

asked the Under-Secretary of State for Air to what extent he gives official approval to the service information published in the "Royal Air Force Flying Review."

The Under-Secretary of State for Air (Mr. George Ward)

The "Royal Air Force Flying Review" is a commercial publication produced with the co-operation of the Air Ministry. Provided security requirements are satisfied, there is no liability on the publisher to submit articles before publication.

Mr. Beswick

Is the Under-Secretary aware that there has been a number of incidents recently when information has been published in this journal which, under the "D notice—Security Procedure" would not have been published and ought not to have been published, and, in fact, has not been published by the other technical journals and the Press generally? Does the hon. Gentleman not think that this is calculated to bring the whole security procedure into disrepute?

Mr. Ward

I should very much like to know from the hon. Member exactly what he has in mind. Although there is no liability, on the publisher to submit articles, in practice he does submit the material for security vetting and suitable clearance.

Mr. Beswick

Is the Minister aware that an artist's impression of the P.1 fighter appeared in the September issue and that in the same issue there was a wing plan drawing of the P.1 fighter, which up to that time had not been issued for publication at all?

Mr. Ward

I will take advice on that.

Air Commodore Harvey

Before my hon. Friend limits the publication of matter in these journals, will he bear in mind that American technical papers publish information which is not published in the British technical papers, and will he continue to publish all he can relating to the Royal Air Force?

Mr. Ward

Naturally, we want to give all the information we possibly can within the bounds of security.