§ 28. General Sir George Jeffreysasked the Secretary of State for War what is the annual cost to the Army of the services of the Bureau of Current Affairs; whether any lecturers of this organisation are employed by his Department, and whether these are members of the Army Education Corps; also, whether there is any obligation on units to avail themselves of the services of this organisation or to display its posters in barracks, camps. or other military establishments.
§ Mr. BellengerThe estimated expenditure in 1947–48 for the purchase of the fortnightly issues of "Map Review" and "Current Affairs" of the Army is 118,000. This is borne on His Majesty's Stationery Office votes, not by Army funds. Lecturers of the Bureau of Current Affairs may be used where necessary to assist the Army in the same way and on the same terms as have been approved for other civilian lecturers employed under the Army Education Scheme; none of these lecturers belongs to the Royal Army Educational Corps and there is no obligation on formations and units to employ them. The publications, "Current Affairs" and "Map Review" are purchased by the War Office and issued for use in discussions on current affairs in the same way as similar publications previously issued by the War Office. Commanding Officers are instructed to ensure that the material provided is communicated to and discussed by all ranks.
§ Sir G. JeffreysIs the right hon. Gentleman aware that there is already more than enough during their service for soldiers to learn without the addition of some political matter put over by this Bureau? Is he aware that I hold in my hand an Army Council Instruction saying that C.Os. will ensure that the material thus provided is communicated to and discussed by all ranks in training or working hours, and that a minimum of one hour a week will be included in the programmes of all units (including A.T.S. and V.A.D. units) for this purpose? Is not that an obligation on C.Os.?
§ Mr. BellengerThe hon. and gallant Gentleman is quite correct; that Army 13 Council Instruction was issued with the approval of the Army Council, and I find no fault with it.
§ Mr. DribergHow much of this money was wasted when my right hon. Friend's Department banned the circulation of the Bureau's excellent and objective pamphlet on "The Control of the Press"?
§ Mr. BellengerThat is a very stale thing now.
§ Major Tufton BeamishIs not this Bureau.of Current Affairs an agency of Socialist propaganda, in the same way as A.B.C.A. was during the war?
§ Wing-Commander HulbertHow are these lecturers selected by the Department?
§ Mr. BellengerI could give the answer, but it would mean going into a great deal of detail.
§ Sir G. JeffreysDid I understand the right hon. Gentleman correctly in his original answer that there was no obligation on commanding officers to avail themselves of this organisation. In view of the Army Instruction, which I quoted, will he explain that discrepancy?
§ Mr. BellengerWhat I said was that there was no obligation on the commanding officers of units or formations to employ civilian lecturers under this scheme. The obligation, of course, is to carry out the Army Council Instruction.
§ Lieut.-Commander Gurney BraithwaiteIs it the case that attendance at these lectures is compulsory? Could they not be placed on the same basis as attendance at church?
§ Mr. BellengerAttendance is compulsory in the one hour a week. I think it does the mer much good. and they appreciate it.
§ Mr. Leslie HaleIs it not a fact that any organisation which exists for the dissemination of truth must inevitably disseminate a certain amount of Socialist propaganda?
§ 29. Sir G. Jeffreysasked the Secretary of State for War whether he has considered the Bureau of Current Affairs poster No. 26, of 26th April, which, under the authority of an Army Council Instruction, was displayed in barracks; whether this poster had his approval; and whether 14 he will cause a copy of every Bureau of Current Affairs poster which is displayed in barracks, camps, or other military establishments to be placed in the Library of the House.
§ Mr. BellengerI am aware that the poster in question has given rise to some criticism. It has not hitherto been the practice to submit these posters to my Department for approval before issue as they are mainly factual and depend for their value on topicality, which might be lost by any delay. Without expressing any opinion on the particular case, I agree that any poster which contains matter of a controversial nature should be submitted, the same way as the Current Affairs pamphlets, before it is distributed to the Army, and I have asked for this to be done in future. A copy of each issue is already supplied to the Library of the House.
§ Sir G. JeffreysIn view of that reply, am I correct in understanding from the right hon. Gentleman that there will be a definite check by Army authorities on all literature issued by this organisation in future?
§ Mr. BellengerThat is really the purport of my answer.
§ Major BeamishIs not the Bureau of Current Affairs an agency of Socialist propaganda, in the same way as A.B.C.A. was during the war?
§ Mr. BellengerI disagree entirely with the hon. and gallant Gentleman. A.B.C.A. did very good service during the war, as is admitted by all who served in the Army.
§ Wing-Commander HulbertThe right hon. Gentleman said that any poster of a controversial nature should be submitted to his Department; surely, he means that it should not be exhibited without that submission?
§ Mr. BellengerI hope the hon. and gallant Member will trust my judgment.