The Moral Dimension
| "The Moral Dimension" | |
|---|---|
| Yes Minister episode | |
| Episode no. |
Series 3 Episode 4 |
| Written by |
Antony Jay Jonathan Lynn |
| Produced by | Peter Whitmore |
| Original air date | 2 December 1982 |
| Guest appearance(s) | |
|
Diana Hoddinott |
|
Diana Hoddinott
Antony Carrick
"The Moral Dimension" is the eighteenth episode of the BBC comedy series Yes Minister and was first broadcast 2 December 1982. The final ' Yes, Minister ' is said in unison by both Sir Humphrey and Bernard.
Jim Hacker, his wife, Annie, and his colleagues Sir Humphrey Appleby and Bernard Woolley, are all on board a plane bound for Qumran, an oil sheikdom. They are part of a delegation that is going to ratify one of Britain's biggest ever export orders. The Minister is concerned at the considerable number of people going, but Sir Humphrey informs him that it has been "pared to the bone". His Permanent Secretary also reminds Hacker that consumption of alcohol is banned in Qumran according to Islamic law. The Minister, not looking forward to "five hours of orange juice", wonders if there is an alternative. He suggests that a communications room be set up near the reception, which will contain illicit liquor.
At the reception, Hacker and his wife accept a 17th-century rosewater jar as a gift from one government to another. Bernard then interrupts with news of an urgent call for the Minister in the communications room (from a Mr Haig). This establishes the code that will be used for alcoholic top-ups for the rest of the evening. Annie Hacker tells Bernard of her delight at the rosewater jar, but is saddened when he informs her that she won't be able to keep it as it is government property. He states that the only way it could remain in her possession was if it were worth less than £50. She entreats Bernard to get it valued and he eventually agrees. Meanwhile, Hacker seeks out Sir Humphrey, and can't quite believe his eyes when he sees the mandarin in full Arab dress. Sir Humphrey explains that it is a traditional Foreign Office courtesy. Bernard meets one of the hosts, who overheard his conversation with Mrs Hacker. He has no qualms about writing a false valuation certificate and remarks to a shocked Bernard that the gift seems so trivial when he received a share of $1 million that was paid to the Qumrani finance minister to secure the contract. Bernard makes his excuses and goes to tell Sir Humphrey of this fact (after he sends an increasingly drunken Hacker back to the communications room). The Permanent Secretary is nonchalant: apparently all contracts in Qumran are obtained by bribery — a system that works well, so long as nobody knows.
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