POLICY DIVISION

Ref. T.1088/2/76 [XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX - 7 lines - XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX]*

Nevertheless I have no reason to suppose, and do not myself believe, that he would invent a supporting evidence for his statement. The account in the 5th paragraph of his letter of 16 December 1976very circumstantial and I mean no disrespect to Mr Mashiter's recollection of telephone conversations which took place over two years ago if I say that I do not think we ought to make for a head-on collision with [XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX]* of his story. I am the more prepared to tolerate acceptance of the claim for the 2 back years because of the realisation that we seem to have done not too badly out of what has occurred - in the sense that it seems likely that the Press could well have established its charity status even earlier than it did if it had not got round to pressing its claim as [XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX]* as it finally did in 1974.

In all circumstances, admit the claim from January 1968.

G BRIDDON
13 January 1977

* Passages redacted by the Inland Revenue in 2009 under FoI exemption (s)40. Closed until 2033. Click for the collated Redaction puzzle-file, with scans.