HC Deb 18 December 1941 vol 376 cc2068-70
41. Sir Percy Harris

asked the Minister of Information why he stopped a proposed broadcast by J. E. W. Gibb, which he had been invited by the British Broadcasting Corporation to give on Tuesday, 2nd December, on Regulation 18B?

Mr. Thurtle

The proposed broadcast was abandoned by the B.B.C. at the request of the Ministry of Information. There were defects in the arrangements for this broadcast which my right hon. Friend much regrets, and he would like to express his apologies to Mr. Gibb for any inconvenience and embarrassment caused to him.

Sir P. Harris

Is it not really a fact that this broadcast, which I have in my hand, was an impartial description of a Debate that took place in this House and that the real reason it was stopped was that the Home Secretary objected to it because it contained some criticism? Is it now to be the policy of the Ministry of Information that no one is to be allowed to broadcast unless they express exactly the. views of the Government?

Mr. Thurtle

One of the difficulties in the arrangements to which I referred in my answer was that the script was received by the Ministry of Information only at a very late hour, and when the text was received some doubt was felt whether it was an impartial statement of the case, and it was thought right to consult the Home Secretary. He expressed the view that while there could be no objection to the B.B.C. putting before the public the arguments on both sides of the question in dispute by debate between opposing speakers, the proposed talk did not give an impartial statement and was, in a material point, inaccurate. For this reason the proposed broadcast was cancelled.

Sir P. Harris

Will the hon. Gentleman, in common fairness, allow this broadcast to be made public, so that the House can judge for itself why this gentleman, who is a director of the "Economist," not by any means a politician—he arranged to broadcast only at the special request of the B.B.C.—when he arrived about an hour before the time of the broadcast was stopped, merely because the broadcast contained one or two passages in criticism of the policy of the Government?

Mr. Benson

Will steps be taken to invite Mr. Gibb to broadcast again?

Mr. Thurtle

So far as publicity is concerned, there are ways and means of getting publicity other than by broadcasting. If any question of a debate were to arise, no doubt the claims of Mr. Gibb to take part in the debate would be given very serious consideration.

Sir P. Harris

Is it the policy of the Government that there shall be no broadcast unless in the form of a debate when the broadcaster is not a nominee of the Government?

Mr. Thurtle

I should have thought that my right hon. Friend would agree that it is undesirable there should be a broadcast of a partisan statement on an acutely controversial subject.

Mr. Shinwell

Will the hon. Gentleman give an assurance that those of us who occasionally speak in the country at weekends shall be allowed to make what are alleged to be impartial statements without the consent of the Home Secretary?

Sir P. Harris

I beg to give notice that I shall take the earliest opportunity of raising this question?