◆ SpookStack

which the Prime Minister’s secretariat is not in a position to git > The Prime Minister's personal contact with the Director-General ef tif, i Service need not be wholly interrupted as a result ot alt ai Ministerial responsibility. The Prime Minister would q to send for the Head of the Security Service from time to time, the general state of his work and particular matters which” _ specially close concern to bim. And on matters of supreme importance’ and delicacy, the Head of the Service should always be able, at his initiation, to arrange a personal interview with the Prime Minister.”"~ ” (iii) Sir David Maxwell Fyte’s Directive 238. On 24th September, 1952, Sir David Maxwell Fyfe, then Home Secretary, issued this Directive to the Director-General of the Security Service, which is the governing instrument to-day: Hat hb “1. In your appointment 2s Director-General of the Security Service ~ you will be responsible to the Home Secretary personally. The Security Service. is not, however, a’ part of the Home Office. On appropriate occasion you will have right of direct access to the Prime Minister. _ "9. The Security Service is part of the Defence Forces of the country. Its task is the Defence of the Realm as a whole, from external and internal dangers arising from attempts at espionage and sabotage, or from actions of persons and organisations whether directed from within or without the country, which may be judged to be subversive of the State. 3. You will take special care to sce that the work of the Security Service is strictly limited to what is necessary for the purposes of this 4, It is essential that the Security Service should be kept absolutely free from any political bias or influence and nothing should be done that might lend colour to any suggestion that it is concerned with the interests of any particular section of the community, or with any other matter than the Defence of the Realm as a whole, 5. No enquiry is to be carried out on behalf of any Government Department unless you are satisfied that an important public interest bearing on the Defence of the Realm, as defined in paragraph 2, is at 6. You and your staff will maintain the well-established convention whereby Ministers do not concern themselves with the detailed information which may be obtained by the Security Service in particular cases, but are furnished with such information only as may be necessary for the determination of any issue on which guidance is sought.” vo 239, After hearing a considerable body of evidence, I f approval that the Directive of Sir David Maxwell Fyfe embe principles. I would try to summarise the salient points: =‘! * (1) The Head of the Security Service is responsible directly Whale Secretary for the efficient and proper working of the Service and in the ordinary way to the Prime Minister,6 0 7 80