THE REPORT, incidentally, was published at 2.30 on the afternoon
of Wednesday, September 4. In theory, you could not have had access to a copy before that time even if you were an MP or an Archbishop—let alone an editor. Most documents of a similar nature are sent to the press in advance, to facilitate digestion, with an embargo on use of the material until publication time; but not Command Papers; they must not be seen in advance. The reason put forward is the mystic privilege of Parliament, in its corporate capacity : Parliament is deemed to have seen it'first, at 2.30 (or whatever the time may be), and it is then available for everybody. This is a fool idea at any time, but it becomes ridiculous when Parliament is not even sitting. And what makes it more absurd is that there is, in fact, an exception; the lobby correspondents of the daily papers are allowed to procure advance copies, for no dis- cernible reason. And, inevitably, there are devious and disgraceful ways of obtaining a sneak pre- view: I used one myself. But it is time that so silly a system was changed.
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