As I read the history....Pound polled his staff and with the exception of Admiral Moore (Vice Chief of Naval Staff) all were against Dispersal. The Staff meeting lasted all day long with some breaks and interruptions.
Air Recce had shown the German ships to have left Trondheim and other intelligence reported them to be anchored in Altenfiord with no signs of departing.
Fleet Intelliigence (Submarine Tracking Unit) reported U-Boats were in the area where the Allied Cruisers would be withdrawing.
Pound appeared to not be persuaded by the information given him by Commander N. E. Denning re the location and status of the German surface units.
Pound's personally written Order was to disperse then a second Order was written upon realizing the correct Order was to "Scatter" rather than merely break formation and proceed indecently towards Murmansk.
The decision was wrong and resulted in the piecemeal destruction of the Convoy by German Aircraft and Submarines. Had more attention been paid to Air Recce to confirm the location of the German surface units.....perhaps the disaster could have been prevented.
The Admiralty kept a very tight Lid on the event.....as it was some time in 1949 before Churchill himself learned it was Pound who made the decision.