Mr. Davidsonasked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether all classified letters and documents emanating from the Foreign Office are copy numbered; and what steps he has taken to ensure that each copy is written off after destruction by pulping or by combustion.
§ Mr. George BrownNo.
Measures are in hand to ensure the copy-numbering of all Top Secret documents in the Foreign Office and at Office posts abroad.
The copy-numbering of the very large quantity of less highly classified documents dealt with in the Foreign Office and Foreign Office posts abroad would entail very considerable additional man- 288W power and expense which would far outweigh the advantage of such a measure. However, all practicable precautions are taken to ensure that less highly classified documents both in the Foreign Office and at Foreign Office posts abroad are properly safeguarded and destroyed by secure means as and when appropriate.