ABSTRACT

The Zircon affair had rumbled on in 1988. A new interim interdict had been granted against Campbell in Scotland in late November 1987, specifically concerning his alleged informant and former GCHQ member Alexander Lawrie (linked with the Top Secret document found earlier that year by police in the New Statesman’s offices). By May 1988, it had been conceded that this interdict did not in fact stop the BBC showing the film. Higgins was asked by officials therefore to seek a viewing of the film (which had not been changed since the Cabinet Office team had seen it when in police hands), to which the BBC agreed. Having viewed it, Higgins explained to the BBC’s new DPBC representative John Wilson, 273 for the record, that his function was strictly limited to offering advice on national security aspects, and, while he explained the general damage arguments, he ‘offered no advice’, i.e. he agreed that no further damage to national security would be done by showing it.