Spies chilled about Spooks but military heated over memoirs

Off By Sharon Black

Suppressed passages from official history of D notice committee reveal concern over special forces talking to media and ex-MI5 chief’s memoirs Britain’s top military brass and senior Whitehall officials were agitated about special forces talking to the media, concerned about a former MI5 chief writing her memoirs – but the spies were relatively relaxed about the BBC spy show Spooks, hitherto secret documents reveal. The newly released files give details of passages that were removed from the original manuscript of Secrecy and the Media, the official history of the defence, press and broadcasting advisory committee (DPBAC), where Whitehall officials oversee a system of voluntary self-censorship with the media.