§ 48, Russell Square,
§ London. W.C.1.
§ 3rd January, 1963.
§ The Rt. Hon. Viscount Hailsham, Q.C.,
§ Lord President of the Council and Minister for Science,
§ 2, Richmond Terrace,
§ Whitehall,
§ London. S.W.1.
§ Dear Mr. Minister,
§ Your letter of the 19th December was considered by my Committee to-day. I am directed to say that they are as anxious as anyone to do everything possible to cut the lung cancer mortality rate. However, they cannot ignore certain long established rules about advertisement copy and design which are adhered to by all media owners. In effect, these rules bar 659 copy which is exaggerated or calculated to induce fear. They feel sure that the Ministry of Health and/or their advertising agents must be unaware of these rules or have not interpreted them correctly.
§ My Committee maintain that the phrase "cigarettes cause lung cancer" is too sweeping and may cause undue alarm. They have to bear in mind that untold millions smoked cigarettes for a great many years before the incidence of lung cancer reached its present proportions; that all the sufferers from this disease have not been smokers and that the word "cigarettes" used as it is could be taken to mean as few in number as two.
§ It is noteworthy that the statement has not, so far as my Committee are aware, appeared as an advertisement in the Press or any other medium and that even the Minister of Health himself is not prepared to say more than that "there is a close casual (causal?) connection between the smoking of cigarettes and the incidence of lung cancer". (Hansard, 17th December, 1962.)
§ Had the posters contained the statement made in your letter and also in the Report of the Royal College of Physicians that "cigarette smoking is a cause of lung cancer" they would have been accepted without question.
§ The Industry has displayed many posters in the past for this campaign including the last series issued by the Ministry in April, and it will always be willing to co-operate in the future provided the posters are based upon the evidence which has so far been adduced. If they can assist the Ministry of Health with the lay-out in order to make it as effective as that just refused they will be very pleased to do so.
§ The Committee ask me to say that they consider that the Outdoor Advertising Industry has been pilloried most unjustly in this matter through maintaining a principle common to all media, including the Press, and I have been asked to refer your letter to the Advertising Association for consideration by the Advertising Standards Authority.
§ Finally my Committee would welcome the publication of the correspondence between us in all the press but they would ask that the letters also are published which have passed between them and the Ministry of Health on the matter.
§ Yours faithfully,
§ (Signed) H. H. Mallatratt,
§ Secretary.
§ Office of the Minister for Science,
§ 2, Richmond Terrace,
§ S.W.1.
§ 11th January, 1963.
§ Thank you for your letter of 3rd January.
§ I note that your committee find a significant difference between the proposition "Cigarettes cause lung cancer" and "Cigarette smoking is a cause of lung cancer".
§ I do not propose to argue the point but simply take you at your word. I have informed 660 my colleagues of your assurance and his officials will be getting in touch with you.
§ In the meantime I will await the outcome before taking any further steps.
§ (Signed) HAILSHAM.
§ H.H. Mallatratt, Esq.,
§ Joint Censorship Committee of the Poster Advertising Industry,
§ 48, Russell Square,
§ London, W.C.1.
§ Ministry of Health,
§ Alexander Fleming House,
§ 17th January, 1963.
§ Dear Sir,
§ In his letter of the 11th January about the Government posters on smoking and health, the Lord President said that officers of the Ministry of Health would be getting into touch with you. Mr. Heald, the Public Relations Officer of this Department, also wrote to you on 29th November, promising a further letter in reply to yours of 27th November.
§ I am now writing to say that with other representatives of the Ministry I should welcome a discussion with a representative or representatives of your Committee so that we may go into the points at issue.
§ If this is acceptable to you perhaps the necessary arrangements could be made over the telephone (HOP 5522, Ext. 265).
§ Yours faithfully,
§ (Signed) J. P. DODDS.
§ H. H. Mallartratt, Esq.,
§ Joint Censorship Committee of the Poster Advertising Industry,
§ 48, Russell Square,
§ London, W.C.1.
§ 15th February, 1963.
§ Dear Mr. Mallatratt,
§ I am writing with reference to your visit with Mr. Edwards to the Ministry on the 30th January to discuss the refusal of the Joint Censorship Committee to approve the display of certain of our posters on smoking and health, which include the words "Cigarettes cause lung cancer."
§ It was explained to you that these posters were part of a general effort to bring home to the public the serious risks to health of cigarette smoking. This campaign is based on the highest medical authority and you indicated that your Committee have no desire to frustrate it.
§ In March last the Royal College of Phycisians, after reviewing the latest evidence, stated categorically in their Report on Smoking and Health that "cigarette smoking is a cause of lung cancer", and you have told us that in view of that authoritative finding the Committee would not object to a statement that "cigarette smoking is a cause of lung cancer" or "cigarettes are a cause of lung cancer".
661§ It is understood that your Committee's refusal is based solely on the view that the statement "cigarettes cause lung cancer" differs from the statement "cigarettes are a cause of lung cancer" to an extent which makes the former a gross exaggeration, though the latter is perfectly acceptable. I should be grateful if you would invite the Committee to consider whether they wish to adhere to this view, which appears difficult to sustain, and whether they are satisfied that they are applying here the same criteria as they apply, or would apply, to any other poster slogan (such as "Careless talk costs lives").
§ I hope that as a result you will be able to tell me in the near future that the Committee have decided to withdraw their refusal.
§ Yours sincerely,
§ (Signed) J. P. DODDS.
§ H. H. Mallatratt, Esq.,
§ Joint Censorship Committee of the Poster Advertising Industry,
§ 48, Russell Square,
§ London, W. C.1.