§ 45. Mr. Emrys Hughesasked the Prime Minister to what extent he has modified the rule that Members of the Cabinet should not write articles to the Press.
§ The Secretary of State for the Home Department and Lord Privy Seal (Mr. R. A. Butler)I have been asked to reply.
945 Successive Administrations have adopted a rule precluding Ministers from the practice of journalism. But as Mr. Attlee, the then Prime Minister, said on 29th January, 1947:
This rule does not debar Ministers from writing articles or letters to the newspapers in order to supplement other methods of informing the public of the work of their Departments.
§ Mr. HughesCan the Home Secretary give us some explanation of a letter that appeared under his name in the News of the World a fortnight ago, in which he stated that he was to write an article on the perils of atomic warfare? Does he think that people buy the News of the World to read about the perils of atomic warfare, or about other perils? Is it fair to the archbishops and bishops that they should have to read the News of the World in order to find authoritative explanations of Government policy?
§ Mr. ButlerI am aware of the letter I wrote, because I wrote it. It said that I was unable at present to fulfil the wish of the editor that I should join in a series in which I had hoped to join, which describe some of the aspects of civil defence. That was the object of the article, and I think it falls very suitably into the definition of Lord Attlee, who was then Mr. Attlee, as Prime Minister, and also the definition given at an earlier date by Mr. Baldwin, then Prime Minister. I think that it would have been a very useful article. Whether I shall have an opportunity of doing it later I do not know, but I feel sure that if it should appear it would be very valuable.