§ Q1. Sir T. Beamishasked the Prime Minister what assurances are sought from temporary civil servants recruited by the Government that they will not, when they leave the Service, write books about their experiences.
§ The Prime Minister (Mr. Harold Wilson)None, Sir, because there are already strict rules governing the publication of books or other works by former civil servants based on their official experience.
§ Sir T. BeamishIs it, then, the fact that the same assurances have been sought from temporary as from permanent civil servants?
§ The Prime MinisterYes, Sir.
§ Q2. Mr. Martenasked the Prime Minister what instructions are issued within the Civil Service to ensure the security of top secret Cabinet papers.
§ The Prime MinisterIt is not the practice to give details of security procedures.
§ Mr. MartenIn view of the public anxiety about this matter, will the right hon. Gentleman say what steps are currently being taken to ensure that civil servants do not see top secret defence Cabinet papers when they are, possibly, known to be sympathetic to an organisation which diametrically opposes Her Majesty's Government's Defence policies?
§ The Prime MinisterI agree that there is anxiety. If I remember aright, the hon. Gentleman was a Minister at the Ministry of Aviation. I ask him to await the report to be published this afternoon on the results of his stewardship.
§ Mr. MartenI await that report with great interest, but will the Prime Minister now answer the question which I asked?
§ The Prime MinisterIf the hon. Gentleman is suggesting that any senior civil servants are receiving top secret papers and they are security risks, I shall be very glad to have any information from him about it.
§ Sir Alec Douglas-HomeWill the Prime Minister please refrain from making insinuations against hon. Members until the evidence on which he bases his innuendoes has been before hon. and right hon. Members of the House?
§ The Prime MinisterThe hon. Gentle-was making very serious suggestions about security, and he expressed the view that there was concern about security. A lot of the concern arises from what has happened in the Ministry of Aviation.
§ Mr. GrimondWould it not be much easier to ensure the security of really important papers if we ceased classifying so many papers under various headings? Is the right hon. Gentleman aware that the other day there arrived on my desk a paper which appeared to be about the breeding habits of lobsters, which was marked "Restricted"?
§ The Prime MinisterI should need time to examine that particular paper. I have felt for some time now, as we have said on both sides of the House, I think, that security is easier to safeguard if there is some limitation on the amount 1828 of classification of papers, whether in the secret or even in the restricted category.
§ Dame Irene WardReverting to the Prime Minister's earlier reply, will he say how divisions of opinion within the Cabinet are dealt with as regards security documents?
§ The Prime MinisterI have not the remotest idea what the hon. Lady is talking about. I was dealing with a Question about the control of security in relation to civil servants.
§ Dame Irene WardI am widening it.
§ The Prime MinisterI gathered that. I never thought that there was any security danger in the previous Cabinet when they were divided on the M.L.F.
§ Mr. ShinwellWas the document on the breeding of lobsters sent to the Leader of the Liberal Party with the idea of enabling his party to develop a policy?
§ The Prime MinisterI have no idea in what capacity the right hon. Gentleman received it, but I am sure that there was no security risk involved.