Departmental manuals

Press, 3 February 1981, Page 18

Departmental manuals

Sir, — Largely one relies

on newspapers for information on policy of political parties and these understandably Jack specifics. But Mr Palmer (December 18) still courts unreality by suggesting publid display unsupervised These manuals cotiched in a Curious idiom, setting- down procedure sometimes long; after inauguration by other means. Second, like stationery, telephone 'books, i ballpoint pens, light fittings, etc, in public places, they tend to be mutilated or disappear. The essential point is that they be accurate or else misleading. Yes, a new Official Secrets Act and less secrecy, but I recall the Whitlam Government trying something like this, with slender result. “The mountains are in labour; there will be born a ridiculous mouse.” — Yours, etc., M. LYONS. December 12, 1980. (Mr G. W. Palmer, M.P., comments: “Your corres-, pondent makes no coherent point to which reply is possible. Manuals do exist within Government — in profusion. They can easily be made available. What the Whitlam Government did. was to have the Department bf Social Security’s manuals rewritten by a publicly' appointed committee of people outside the department.”)