Minutes of the Eighteenth Meeting of the Committee (Deputy Directors (O and S ) ) , Held in Conference Room "G", at the Ministry of Defence, S.W.I, on Thursday, 16th February, 1950 at 10.45 a.m.

SECRET In discussion, it was agreed that it was desirable that Mr. Irvine should represent the United Kingdom on the Security Committees of the three Regional Planning Groups and that the Foreign Office should approach the Brussels Treaty Permanent Commission to obtain their approval to Mr. Irvine being released for this task. THE COMMITTEE:- (1) Instructed the Secretary to inform the Secretary, United Kingdom Delegation, Northern European Region, and the Secretary, United Kingdom Delegation, Southern European - Western Mediterranean Region, that the United Kingdom was ready to implement the COSMIC Security system at any time; and that the Delegations would be notified later of the name of the United Kingdom representative on the Security Committees of their respective Regions. (2) Invited the Foreign Office to approach the Brussels Treaty Permanent Commission, on the lines agreed in discussion, to obtain their approval to Mr. J.L. Irvine being released to represent the United Kingdom on the Security Committees of the Northern European Region, the Western European Region, and the Southern European - Western Mediterranean Region; and to report. 2. MARKT SCHWABEN CARD INDEX RESTRICTED THE COMMITTEE considered a minute+ by the Secretary stating that the Joint Intelligence Bureau had agreed to take over from the Board of Trade that part of the Markt Schwaben Card Index described in List A of the British Intelligence Objectives Sub- Committee memorandum≠ describing the Index, but that neither the Cabinet Office Historical Section, who had been approached on the matter, nor any of the Departments represented on the Committee were prepared to take over those parts of the Index described in Lists B and C. A decision was therefore required as to whether or not Lists B and C of the Index might be destroyed, and if not, what Department would be responsible for taking over these parts from the Board of Trade. CAPTAIN MOORE said that when the Joint Intelligence Bureau had taken over that part of the Index described in List A, they had found that it constituted the major part (39 sections out of 40) and they had therefore decided to take over the whole of the Index, as the additional commitment involved was so small. THE COMMITTEE:- Took note, with approval, that the Joint Intelligence Bureau had taken over the whole of the Markt Schwaben Card Index from the Board of Trade. + J.I.C./308/50. ≠ J.I.C./1944/49. -2-