Catalogue description Lord Denning’s Report on the Inquiry into the Security Aspects leading to the Resignation of the former Secretary of State for War, John Profumo (the Denning Inquiry): Papers

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Details of BS 28
Reference: BS 28
Title: Lord Denning’s Report on the Inquiry into the Security Aspects leading to the Resignation of the former Secretary of State for War, John Profumo (the Denning Inquiry): Papers
Description:

This series covers the work undertaken by Lord Denning, Master of the Rolls, into the security aspects which led to the resignation of John Profumo in 1963.

The material (transcripts of evidence, correspondence and press cuttings, etc) relate to Lord Denning’s investigation into the circumstances leading to the resignation of John Profumo; the operation of the Security Service and the adequacy of the co-operation with the Police in matters of security; and any evidence there may have been for believing that national security had been or may have been endangered.

Date: 1961-1963
Arrangement:

The papers are arranged according to their content and then alphabetically A-Z or in date order.
Held by: The National Archives, Kew
Legal status: Public Record(s)
Language: English
Creator:

Non-statutory Inquiry into the Security Aspects which led to the Resignation of John Profumo (Denning inquiry), 1963-1963
Physical description: 91 document(s)
Access conditions: Open unless otherwise stated
Immediate source of acquisition:

in 2016 Cabinet Office
Custodial history: The collection was held under Cabinet Office custody before transfer to The National Archives
Accumulation dates: 1963
Selection and destruction information: The collection was selected under The National Archives Acquisition policy criteria 3.2
Accruals: No further accruals expected
Administrative / biographical background:

On 21 June 1963 the Prime Minster Harold Macmillan announced in the House of Commons that Lord Denning had been asked to set up and conduct an inquiry into the security aspects which led to the resignation of John Profumo. The Inquiry had the following terms of reference:

To examine in light of the circumstances leading to the resignation of the former Secretary of State for War, Mr J D Profumo, the operation of the Security Service and the adequacy of their co-operation with the Police in matters of security; to investigate any information or material which may come to his attention in this connection and to consider any evidence there may be for believing that national security had been, or may have been, endangered; and to report thereon.

Lord Denning presented his report on 16 September 1963 and it was published on 26 September 1963 (Cmnd. 2152).

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