§ Mr. Lewisasked the Minister of Information whether he will cause strict inquiries to be made as to the circumstances in which certain secret dossiers and reports disappeared recently from the building in which the postal and telegraph censorship works?
Mr. CooperI am not aware of any dossier or secret or confidential report having disappeared from the building either recently or at any time, nor has any such disappearance been reported to any responsible officer of the Department. However, if the hon. Member will furnish me with any particulars in his possession I will have further inquiries made.
§ Mr. Lewisasked the Minister of Information whether he is aware that, in the event of the destruction of the records and editorial departments of the postal and 201W telegraph censorship through enemy action, certain documents of great importance to national security would no longer be available; and will he consider the advisability of having copies of such records stored elsewhere?
Mr. Cooper:The question of providing for copies of the records in the Department has been fully considered from time to time, but as all information of vital importance to national security in the possession of the censorship is also in the possession of other Government Departments, I am not satisfied that the heavy expense involved in such duplication is justified.
§ Mr. Lewisasked the Minister of Information why it is that in the records and editorial departments of the postal and telegraph censorship there are no proper facilities for keeping secret documents under lock and key despite applications for such facilities by the responsible officials concerned; and will he at least ensure that the door to the room in which these documents are left is kept locked at night so that the numerous personnel on night duty in the building cannot have easy access to these papers, the contents of which concern matters of national security?
Mr. Cooper:I am not aware of the source of the hon. Member's information. Proper facilities for keeping secret documents under lock and key do exist in the records and editorial departments of the postal and telegraph censorship and such documents are in fact kept under lock and key when not in use. It is not considered desirable that the door to the room in which these documents are left should be kept locked at night in view of the fact that the room may be needed at any time for operations connected with A.R.P. or fire fighting. The departments in question are included in the patrols of the night watchman and in addition they are specially patrolled by the Home Guard.