OFFICIAL SECRETS ACT

Timaru Herald, Volume CXXXVII, Issue 19373, 23 December 1932, Page 9

OFFICIAL SECRETS ACT

DEFINED IN HOUSE OF LORDS EXTENSIVE PROVISIONS OUTLINED United Press Association —By Electric Telegraph—Copyright (Received December 22, 7 p.m.) LONDON, December 22. In the House of Lords, Lord Hailsham in the course of a debate on Cabinet disclosures, said that there seemed to be a general misconception that for members of Cabinet the only obligation was not to disclose Cabinet minutes. As a matter of fact the obligation applied to all Cabinet conclusions, all documents, memoranda and despatched papers, and even to Minister’s recollections as to what took place. The Official Secrets Act provided a penalty of two years’ imprisonment for either members of Cabinet or of the Civil Service who disclosed confidential Cabinet information. He hoped that the debate had clarified the position and had shown the wisdom of retaining the old rule of complete secrecy in all its rigour and inflexibility. The Lord Chancellor hoped henceforth that there would be no Cabinet leakages. “It is not only a breach of the Oath and an offence under the Official Secrets Act, but a breach of personal honour to disclose Cabinet proceedings,” he said. Without secrecy the system of Cabinet Government would come to an end.