With reference to your minute HP.730/6 of the 11th instant regarding the lack of co-operation between the local controller and our Emergency Information Officer.
As I mentioned in my minute to you of the 13th instant we had already made representations to Regional Headquarters on this matter, and I saw the Senior Regional Officer immediately on his return from Weymouth where he had been conducting a local inquiry into the working of the Controller.
It is quite clear that Regional Headquarters are very dissatisfied with the Controller's present arrangements and method of working and are taking up the matter very strongly with him.
The trouble appears to be that the Controller kept matters very much in his own hands and would not delegate work to other officials which resulted in unsatisfactory reports and a great lack of contact with other Departments, and their local officials. I understand Regional Headquarters are now insisting on the appointment of a Deputy Controller who will be in charge of the Intelligence side of the Report Centre so that information will be available to such officials and representatives of other Departments who are fully entitled to be conversant with the situation. They are specially noting to the Controller that close contact should be maintained with our Emergency Information Officer.
I explained to the Senior Regional Officer the results of our not having up-to-date information particularly in regard to the damage to the “Dorset Daily Echo's” plant, and stressed that in future if it is necessary to bring into operation any skeleton telephone service, it is essential that our E.I.Os. ‘phones should be maintained.
I trust that as a result of the action being taken by Regional Headquarters there will be complete co-operation between the Controller and our E.I.O., which should exist in future.
With regard to Captain F.W. King, our Weymouth Emergency Information Officer, we are not altogether satisfied with him as our E.I.O. as he is not particularly popular locally and is inclined to be tactless and throw his weight about. We may have to make a change but at the moment there is nobody suitable locally to nominate in his place and we are therefore for the time being carrying on with him.
