§ 24. Sir WILLIAM DAVISONasked the Secretary to the Overseas Trade Department whether, with a view to encouraging the sale of British goods abroad, he will call the attention of British firms to the facilities that may be obtained for 2208 advertising the sale of their goods and merchandise through the medium of foreign broadcasting stations?
§ The PARLIAMENTARY SECRETARY to the BOARD of TRADE (Dr. Burgin)I am, of course, in favour of any measure calculated to encourage by legitimate means the sale of British goods abroad, including the use of radio broadcast announcements where these are customary. There are, however, certain types of international broadcast advertising and propaganda which are open to objections, as will be indicated by my right hon. Friend, the Postmaster-General, in reply to later questions on the paper.
§ Sir W. DAVISONAs this is very important to British traders in view of the fact that the British Broadcasting Corporation, owing to their obligations to subscribers, do not allow advertising, do I understand that so long as it is only a proper trade advertisement, there is no objection on the part of the British Government; in fact, that the British Government welcome ordinary traders advertising their goods, as long as it is not political propaganda?
§ Dr. BURGINPerhaps my hon. Friend will wait to hear answers to other questions on the Paper. Broadly, his statement is correct. There is no objection to broadcasts in the language of the country. That is one clear matter to which there would be no objection, for example, no objection to British broadcasts in France in French.