ABSTRACT
The brief preliminary response to the HCDC Report was published in January 1981, 124 welcoming its conclusion that the D-Notice System should be retained, as ‘a necessary and beneficial service for both’ government and media, and reporting the agreed Terms of the Reference. Chipp elsewhere continued his personal campaign, telling the Commonwealth Press Union: ‘I don’t think I am suffering from the general paranoia of a reporter in thinking that restraint on our freedom to report is the great danger we as journalists face worldwide, and certainly in Britain. The attack is insidious and slow and is often justified by what are superficially very worthy motives.’ 125 The remainder of the Media side readily progressed the Review, reflecting the much greater interest now being taken by broadsheets and the BBC in challenging official secrecy. In late February 1981, Ash told the Official side that the BBC’s Alan Protheroe 126 had asked for guidance on whether it would contravene the D-Notices to show an organisation chart of one of the Secret Agencies in a projected Panorama programme about US/UK intelligence and security. The BBC did not intend to submit the programme for scrutiny because it was of a ‘philosophical nature’, contained opinions not operational details, and had been carefully scrutinised by Protheroe in the light of D-Notice guidance. Ash had however felt unable to give advice without knowing more detail.
