The letter sent by Harold Wilson, the then Prime Minister, to his Cabinet colleagues on 23 December 1964.
I should like to take this opportunity to wish all my colleagues in the Government a very happy Christmas.
I hope that we can all feel that, having regard to the circumstances which we found when we came into office, we have not done too badly since 16th October. We have launched important new initiatives in economic and industrial policy, in defence and foreign policy and in the field of the social services; and in many other respects we have set in hand a good deal of work, which will bear fruit in due course, to achieve the objectives which we set ourselves in our Election Manifesto. We must maintain this momentum; and we must be ready to tackle 1965 with no less energy and determination.
Meanwhile I trust that all my colleagues will have a well-earned rest over the holiday. I hope that they will also take the opportunity to do a little quiet stock-taking in the light of the first few weeks of office and to consider how we can improve still further our handling of Government business. I suggest that, among other things, we should all study afresh the memorandum on Questions of Procedure for Ministers (C. (64) 1) which I circulated on 19th October, 1964. I know that Ministers were very busy at the time when it was circulated and now is a good time to look at it again. It contains a lot of valuable guidance, which has been tested by experience; and it gains added force when it is re-read against the background of a few months of practical Ministerial responsibility. The sections dealing with contacts with the Press, television and public opinion in general are particularly worth attention. Recently, there have been one or two occasions when information about our intentions seems to have leaked prematurely; and this kind of thing, if it continues, is not only bad in itself but tends to undermine the whole concept of collective responsibility. I ask my colleagues to take particular care in this respect; and I would suggest that, for their own protection, they should preferably be accompanied by some responsible witness when they meet representatives of the Press, even if only informally, and that they should also ensure that their Departmental Information Officers are promptly informed of all such meetings and of what has passed on such occasions in order that any follow-up action which may be necessary can be taken. A few simple precautions of this kind can save a lot of subsequent trouble.
H.W.
10 Downing Street, S.W.1.
23rd December, 1964
CONFIDENTIAL