39 40 - 2 -

POLICY COMMITTEE
15th May, 1940 - 11.45 a.m.

Present :

D.G.

D.D.G.

D.S.

Lord Perth

Sir Kenneth Clark

Mr. Kirkpatrick

Mr. Macadam

Mr. Peake

Mr. Tree

Mr. Wellington

Mr. Wiltshire (Secretary).

1. CONTROL OF B.B.C.

Sir Kenneth Clark reported that the Minister had had an interview with the Director-General of the B.B.C. The Minister had expressed a desire for a clear understanding with the B.B.C. as to control, and the Chairman and Director-General of the B.B.C. had agreed at once. The Minister wanted the closest possible control and the Director-General had offered no objection in principle and had indeed said that there was already the closest possible contact. Sir Kenneth Clark said there undoubtedly was close contact, but not the closest possible. The Director-General pointed out that there were two kinds of control: (1) General guidance: The B.B.C. had never resisted any general wishes and undoubtedly would bow to our decisions after having made observations, and (2) Constant detailed control, which would require having representatives with the B.B.C. all the time. He was inclined to think it was not wise to undertake detailed control. Sir Kenneth Clark observed that the Minister might consider that the present arrangements did not require the B.B.C. to be sufficiently responsible to the Minister of Information.

[See: W.P. (C) (40) 138 - BBC relations with M.O.I. file.]

Various expedients were suggested, such as inviting the B.B.C. to be represented here, e.g. that the Director-General, the three Controllers, and the Director of Talks should be present at one of the Policy Meetings taken by the Minister, and that Mr. Ryan and Sir Stephen Tallents should come to one of the other Policy Meetings. It was observed that representatives of the Ministry did not attend formal meetings at the B.B.C. (with the exception of Mr. Kirkpatrick's fortnightly attendance). The necessity for there being a focal point at the B.B.C. which could deal with all our enquiries was also mentioned.

[Inset A See file: “B.B.C [illegible] at the [illegible]top drawn[illegible] for [illegible] paper see also W.P. (C) (80) 138 BBC relations with M.O.I.]

The Director-General referred to the suggestion that all Government Departments should agree to issue their communiqués etc. through the Ministry. This would require a Cabinet decision. There would be a meeting that afternoon with the Departments affected. The Deputy Secretary observed that it would hardly be possible to ask that messages from the Central War Room and the Cabinet should invariably be issued through the Ministry if some urgent situation arose.

Mr. Wellington said that it would be necessary to co[illegible] whether we should veto the issue of local announcement [illegible] which were not officially sponsored but which had been hitherto accepted (e.g. notices of cancellation of local meetings etc. which might conceivably conceal some information)

[See. WP(C) (40) 136 BBC: action in air-raid[illegible] File: BBC relations with M.O.I.]

The Director-General referred to the decision of the Home Defence Executive Committee that the Commander-in-Chief, Home Defences, might instruct the B.B.C. to issue immediate notices about the dropping of parachutists.

A Sir Kenneth Clark and Mr. Wellington undertook to consider further and to report to the Director-General in the evening, in order that the subject should be discussed with the Minister on Thursday Morning.

2. APPOINTMENT OF PRESS [illegible] RELATIONS OFFICER

It was mentioned that Mr. Lint Smith would probably be appointed.