asked the Minister of Information whether he has considered the Fourth Report from the Select Committee on National Expenditure on Public Relations Branches of Service Departments; and whether it is proposed to give effect to any of the Committee's recommendations, in particular, those numbered 1, 2 and 9 in the summary?

Yes, Sir. I have read this Report. The public relations officers of the Service Departments are appointed by and responsible to their own Ministers, and I do not control their activities. With regard to recommendation (9) of the Select Committee's Report, I am in favour of this proposal and will discuss it with my right hon. Friend the President of the Board of Education.

Whatever streamlining of these services may be considered desirable, will the right hon. Gentleman bear in mind that some of the best news stories of this war have been produced by ordinary civilian journalists who have been given facilities by the Service Departments? Will he impress upon his colleagues the necessity of spreading these facilities as widely as possible?

I entirely agree with the hon. Gentleman's remarks about the work of civilian journalists, and I do not think any of my colleagues doubt the validity of the point he has just put to me.