(c) crown copyright Catalogue Reference:CAB/128/35 Image Reference:0027 THIS DOCUMENT IS THE PROPERTY OF HER BRITANNIC MAJESTYg GOVERNMENT Printed for the Cabinet. May 1961 CC. (61) Copy No. g £ 27th Conclusions CABINET CONCLUSIONS of a Meeting of the Cabinet held at Admiralty House, S.W.1, on Thursday, 11th May, 1961, at 11.30 a.m. Present: The Right Hon. HAROLD MACMILLAN, M.P., Prime Minister The Right Hon. R. A. BUTLER, M.P., The Right Hon. VISCOUNT KILMUIR, Secretary of State for the Home Lord Chancellor (Items 1-8) Department The Right Hon. SELWYN LLOYD, Q.C., The Right Hon. THE EARL OF HOME, M.P., Chancellor of the Exchequer Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs (Items 1-9) The Right Hon. VISCOUNT HAILSHAM, The Right Hon. JOHN MACLAY, M.P., Q.C., Lord President of the Council Secretary of State for Scotland and Minister for Science The Right Hon. IAIN MACLEOD, M.P., I The Right Hon. HAROLD WATKINSON, Secretary of State for the Colonies i M.P., Minister of Defence (Items 8-10) The Right Hon. Sir DAVID. ECCLES, I The Right Hon. PETER THORNEYCROFT, M.P., Minister of Education M.P., Minister of Aviation The Right Hon. LORD MILLS, Paymaster- The Right Hon. REGINALD MAUDLING, General M.P., President of the Board of Trade The Right Hon. JOHN HARE, M.P., The Right Hon. EDWARD HEATH. M.P., Minister of Labour I Lord Privy Seal Dr. The Right Hon. CHARLES HILL, M.P., j The Right Hon. ERNEST MARPLES, Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster I M.P., Minister of Transport The Right Hon. CHRISTOPHER SOAMES, M.P., Minister of Agriculture, Fisher­ ies and Food The following were also present: The Right Hon. RICHARD WOOD, M.P., j The Right Hon. REGINALD BEVINS, M.P.. Minister of Power (Item 9) Postmaster General (Item 8) The Right Hon. Sir JOCELYN SIMON, The Right Hon. MARTIN REDMAYNE. Q.C.. M.P., Solicitor-General (Item 10) I M.P., Parliamentary Secretary, I Treasury Mr. ANTHONY BARBER, M.P., Economic Secretary, Tieasury (Item 10) Secretariat: Mr. F. A. BISHOP Mr. M. REED I1 CONTENTS Minute No. Subject Page 1 Security in the Public Service 3 2 Education 3 Scottish Teachers 3 Parliament 3 4 Iran 4 5 Germany 4 6 South-East Asia Treaty Organisation 4 Laos 7 Congo Republic 4 8 Opening of Parliament 5 Television Facilities 9 Coal ... ... 5 10 British Sugar Corporation 6 9 SECRET 3 C.C. 27 (61) Security in 1. The Prime Minister said that he had now discussed the case of the Public George Blake with representatives of the Opposition in the House of Service Commons, and had decided, after consultation with the Home (Previous Secretary and the Lord Privy Seal, to appoint a committee of enquiry Reference: into security in the public service. The committee, which would be C.C. (61) 26th given broad terms of reference, would not consist of Privy Councillors Conclusions. as such. He would appoint an independent chairman of high status Minute 2) and would consider whether it was desirable to include any Members of Parliament. The committee would submit their report to the Prime Minister, who would then have further consultations with the Leader of the Opposition. This course should go some way to alleviate present public anxiety and might strengthen the Governments hand if they decided that there was a case for improving security procedures. Education 2. The Secretary of State for Scotland said that he proposed to Scottish reaffirm, in a debate in the House of Commons that day on teachers' Teachers salaries in Scotland, his decision not to approve an increase of more (Previous than about \2\ per cent, (subject possibly to some minor upward Reference: adjustment). The teachers' strike in Glasgow was still in progress and C.C. (61) 20th he would not, therefore, mention any possibility of a special allowance Conclusions, for Glasgow teachers. Minute 5) The Minister of Education said that, contrary to expectation, the local authorities in England and Wales were preparing to make an offer to the teachers which would add about 17 per cent, to the total cost of salaries. This would put the Government in a very difficult position since, unlike the Secretary of State for Scotland, the Minister had not power to modify, but only to accept or reject, an agreed recommenda­ tion from the Burnharn Committee. He proposed shortly to circulate to the Cabinet a memorandum on the present situation. In discussion it was generally agreed that, until the Cabinet had had the opportunity to consider developments in the negotiations in England and Wales, the Secretary of State for Scotland should reaffirm his decision. This had been well received in the Press and it was possible that the Government might not find themselves without public support if they adopted a similarly firm attitude to the Burnham Committee. The Cabinet— (I) Invited the Secretary of State for Scotland to reaffirm his decision to approve an increase of pay for Scottish teachers (subject to minor modifications) of not more than about \2\ per cent. (2) Invited the Minister of Education to circulate a memorandum on the current negotiations in the Burnham Committee. Parliament 3. The Cabinet were informed of the business to be taken in the House of Commons in the following week. Parliament would adjourn for the Whitsun recess on 19th May and would reassemble on 30th May. In order to make as much progress as possible with Government business, it would probably be necessary that the House should sit until 3rd August. Consideration would be given later to the possible need to resume the session after the summer recess. Iran 4. The Foreign Secretary said that at the last meeting of the (Previous Central Treaty Organisation the Turkish representatives had privately Reference: expressed apprehensions to him about the future of Iran. The Shah C.C. (57) 50th had now dissolved the Iranian Parliament and had appointed a new Conclusions. Government upon whose loyalty and integrity he thought he could Mmute 2) rej y x^ere were indications that the Soviet Government would maintain and even increase their pressure upon Iran with the aim of securing the downfall of the regime and detaching the country from the West. Germany 5. The Foreign Secretary said that the meeting of the North (Previous Atlantic Council at Oslo had provided an opportunity for discussions References: between the United Kingdom, United States and French C.C. (60) 17th representatives, together with representatives of the Federal German Conclusions, Government, about the problem of Berlin. It was generally agreed Minute 1 and that there would be no advantage in the Western Powers taking the C.C. (61) 12th initiative for negotiations, as there were no new proposals they could Conclusions, put forward. The Federal German Foreign Minister had made very Minute 6) clear to him that they could not accept the idea of an interim settlement during which the two Germanies would be expected to negotiate a settlement. Mr. Khrushchev might well put forward proposals for Berlin, which might appear not unreasonable to neutral opinion, and he would be likely in due course to sign a treaty with the East German Government, as a result of which, he would assert, the status of and access to West Berlin would be matters for negotiation with that Government. It was therefore necessary to consider with our allies what course we should follow in such a situation. The first step would be for us to have urgent discussions with the United States authorities. It seemed that the United States and Federal German Govern­ ments now agreed that a requirement to obtain passes from the East German, instead of Soviet, authorities would not of itself justify military action, and that the test should be whether allied access was in fact obstructed or the freedom of West Berlin threatened. The Cabinet— Took note of this statement by the Foreign Secretary. South-East 6. The Foreign Secretary said that at the international con­ Asia Treaty ference which was about to begin at Geneva he would continue to work Organisation for agreement on the neutrality of Laos under the supervision of an Laos international commission, which might be somewhat larger than the (Previous existing Commission. Although this might be acceptable to the Soviet Reference: Government, the Communist Chinese authorities might be aggressive C.C. (61) 26th and intransigent. The United States authorities were considering a Conclusions. number of possibilities, including the demilitarisation of Laos or its Minute 3) partition. There was, however, little chance of securing partition by agreement, in view of the positions which Pathet Lao forces had already occupied. The Cabinet— Took note of this statement by the Foreign Secretary. Congo 7. The Foreign Secretary said that Mr. Tshombe was unharmed Republic but under arrest, and in view of the attitude of the United Nations (Previous authorities there seemed little chance of securing his release. The Reference: co-operation between Mr. Kasavubu and General Mobutu afforded C.C. (61) 26th some hope that a satisfactory plan might be evolved to retrain the Conclusions, Congolese forces and that further progress might be made towards a Minute 5) constitutional settlement in the Congo on federal lines. M (i Opening of 8. The Home Secretary said that the Home Affairs Committee Parliament had considered an application from the British Broadcasting Television Corporation (BBC) for permission to televise the State Opening of the Facilities next session of Parliament. The Committee on Broadcasting, under (Previous the Chairmanship of Sir Harry Pilkington, were expected to report Reference: early in the following year and the atmosphere of controversy which C.C.