HC Deb 15 March 1944 vol 398 c219
18. Mr. Ivor Thomas

asked the Minister of Information why he has banned the issue of the "Lettera Italiana" circulated by the Free Italy Movement and the Friends of Free Italy to their members.

Mr. Bracken

As my hon. Friend knows, the paper control regulations prohibit new publications during the war, and "Lettera Italiana" could not legally be published unless the Ministry of Supply issued a special licence to enable this to be done. This Ministry is constantly bombarded with proposals for recommending the publication by special licence of journals designed to serve foreign communities in this country. In our view we have gone to the limit already in making exceptions in favour of journals of this kind and we are unable to recommend a further concession in the case mentioned by my hon. Friend.

Mr. Thomas

While not necessarily accepting the Minister's view that a stencilled sheet issued by an association to its members comes within this ban, would he be willing to issue a licence for the publication of the bulletin by the Friends of Free Italy, which is an English association of the highest standing?

Mr. Bracken

Of course I cannot myself issue a licence. I could recommend the Ministry of Supply to issue such a licence, but I do not intend to do so because, as I say, it is quite impossible to start any more papers in foreign languages.

Professor Savory

May I ask the right hon. Gentleman whether he will consider the interests of students of the Italian language in this country, who read every word of that valuable publication with immense profit? There is no other publication in Italian, so far as I know, in this country.

Mr. Bracken

That is more an attack on the British Council than an encouragement of the Ministry of Information.

Mr. Thomas

In view of the unsatisfactory nature of the reply, I beg to give notice that I shall raise this matter on the Motion for the Adjournment.