§ 43. Mr. MACQUISTENasked the Postmaster-General whether the British Broadcasting Corporation is authorised to exercise discrimination between representatives of the medical profession and other practitioners who do not belong to that profession?
§ Sir W. MITCHELL-THOMSONThe British Broadcasting Corporation is entirely responsible for the selection of the persons engaged to broadcast talks or lectures, and I do not propose to interfere with the Corporation's discretion in this matter.
§ Mr. MACQUISTENIs the right hon. Gentleman aware that the British Broadcasting Corporation asked a distinguished osteopath to give a talk, that he sent the talk for revision, but that they sent it back to have cut out all references to osteopathy, and after this was done the British Broadcasting Corporation then wrote that, because he was not a doctor, which they knew all along, they would not allow him to give this talk; and will the right hon. Gentleman take some authority to prevent such incidents happening again?
§ Sir W. MITCHELL-THOMSONI am not officially aware of any of these matters, and I do not propose to interfere with the discretion of the Corporation.
§ Mr. MACQUISTENBut I wish the right hon. Gentleman to interfere with their indiscretion!