§ Sir E. Graham-Littleasked the Lord President of the Council whether, in view of the growing importance of the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research in national affairs, he will consider appointing a public relations officer to increase the knowledge of industry and the public about the services they can provide.
§ Mr. AttleeThe measures taken by the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research before the war to extend knowledge concerning its work in industry and among the general public were meeting with considerable success, but the outbreak of hostilities naturally curtailed them. They are now being resumed and I am proposing on the recommendation of my Advisory Council to expand them very considerably in the post-war period. I do not feel that the appointment of an official with the title of Public Relations Officer would be appropriate, since many sections of the whole Department are concerned with making contacts with the public in order to make the results of its work more generally known, and it would be undesirable to make it appear that all contacts, lay and scientific, with the public had to pass through a single officer.