Nigel Hawthorne credited as playing...
Sir Humphrey Appleby
- [the Home Secretary has been forced to resign after a drink-driving incident]
- James Hacker: What will happen to him?
- Sir Humphrey Appleby: Well, I gather he was as drunk as a lord. So, after a discreet interval, they'll probably make him one.
- [there has arisen the possibility of James Hacker becoming Prime Minister]
- Sir Humphrey Appleby: How would you feel about your present master as the next Prime Minister?
- Bernard Woolley: The minister?
- Sir Humphrey Appleby: Yes.
- Bernard Woolley: Mr Hacker?
- Sir Humphrey Appleby: Yes.
- Bernard Woolley: As prime minister?
- [Bernard checks his watch]
- Sir Humphrey Appleby: Are you in a hurry?
- Bernard Woolley: No, I was just checking my watch to see it wasn't April the First!
- Sir Humphrey Appleby: How are things at the Campaign for the Freedom of Information, by the way?
- Sir Arnold Robinson: Sorry, I can't talk about that.
- Sir Humphrey Appleby: There are certain items of confidential information, which, whilst in theory they might be susceptible of innocent interpretation, do nevertheless contain, a sufficient element of, shall we say, ambiguity, which if they were to be presented in a less generous manner to an uncharitable mind, might be a source of considerable embarassment and even conceivably hazard, were they to impinge upon the deliberations of an office of more than usual sensitivity.
- James Hacker: I'm sorry?
- Jeffrey - Chief Whip: He's talking about security question marks!
- James Hacker: Such as?
- Jeffrey - Chief Whip: I'm not allowed to know!
- James Hacker: Why not?
- Jeffrey - Chief Whip: Security!