Mr. KINGasked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether it was usual for any newspapers or Press agencies or correspondents of certain papers to receive, officially or otherwise, information on foreign affairs either from persons engaged at the Foreign Office or at British Embassies or Legations abroad; and, if so, whether there were any regulations or instructions governing such imparting of information?
§ Sir E. GREYCertain representative newspapers and Press agencies receive any communications with regard to foreign affairs which are suitable for publication. Such information is, for the most part, confined to appointments and changes in His Majesty's Diplomatic Service. If inquiries are made at the Foreign Office with regard to specific facts, they are answered when it is possible to do so without prejudice to public or private interests. As regards His Majesty's Embassies and Legations abroad, such matters lie within the discretion of the Ambassador or Minister concerned, and I have no doubt that a similar rule to that obtaining in the Foreign Office is observed. There is no regular organisation in connection with the Foreign Office for inspiring any Press agency or newspaper in order to put forward, either officially or semi-officially, the views of His Majesty's Government with regard to foreign affairs.
Mr. KINGWould it not be well, in order to prevent the annoyance of journalists constantly calling at the Foreign Office, to issue periodically to reputed journals a statement which would be equally available to all?
§ Sir E. GREYThe advantages of any organisation of that kind are no doubt obvious to my hon. Friend who put the question, but the difficulties which might arise if any plan of the kind was carried out are obvious to anybody who has to consider the possibility of doing it.