HC Deb 10 June 1943 vol 390 cc865-6W
Sir R. Glyn

asked the Minister of Information whether he can give an assurance that under the new censorship rules, if letters addressed to hon. Members of this House are opened by censors and delayed in transit, a communication from the censorship branch will be sent to the Member of Parliament concerned to state that such a letter has been opened and detained; and, conversely, that in the case of letters from hon. Members, if these are opened and

tuberculosis and the death rate based on number of residents in the mental hospitals of Scotland in 1942, giving figures for males and females separately, and the comparative figures for 1938, 1939, 1940 and 1941?

Mr. Johnston

The following statement gives the information desired:

held by the censorship branch the fact of such detention and action will be notified to the hon. Member concerned?

Mr. Bracken

No new postal censorship rules have been introduced since the announcement issued to the Press by the G.P.O. on 17th July, 1942, that, in the interests of operational security, censorship might be applied from time to time to communications from areas in the neighbourhood of ports, aerodromes and other localities of operational importance. I will ask the Chief Postal Censor to consider my hon. and gallant Friend's suggestion; but every care is already taken by the Censor to avoid delay especially as regards any letters to and from Members of Parliament, and I am doubtful whether the extra labour involved in carrying out his proposal would be justified.