§ Q4. Mr. Duffyasked the Prime Minister if he will arrange for a relaxation of the 50-year rule governing access by serious historians to Cabinet papers.
§ The Prime MinisterParliament gave statutory effect to this rule as recently as 1958 in order to safeguard our system of collective Ministerial responsibility by ensuring that a Government's confidential discussions should not be disclosed prematurely. I do not think that Parliament would wish that safeguard to be weakened.
§ Mr. DuffyIs the Prime Minister aware that it will be 1967 before access is granted to all historians to Cabinet papers, and then only with respect to the single year 1917? Is the right hon. Gentleman really convinced that some reduction in this 50-year lapse period cannot be granted without seriously impairing the administrative or constitutional practices?
§ The Prime MinisterI think we can argue about this for a long time. Only six years ago Parliament put this into a Measure, the Public Records Act, 1958, and I do not think this is a matter which we can go on considering at three-or four-Year intervals.