29. Mr. Astorasked the Secretary of State for India who is responsible for the censorship of private letters in India; and whether he is satisfied that letters are not censored on any other grounds than that of military security.
§ Mr. AmeryResponsibility for the postal and telegraphic censorship of correspondence entering or leaving India has been entrusted by the Government of India to the Commander-in-Chief, India. It is exercised on grounds of military security in the broad sense of the term, that is to say, in the general interests of national defence or public safety. The Indian Censorship Regulations are based on those of the United Kingdom and, follow the guiding principles of the latter. Some variation in the application of general rules by individual censors is inevitable, but censors are instructed to apply the rules with common sense and liberality.
Mr. AstorIs my right hon. Friend aware that there have been cases where purely political or administrative matters, which have nothing to do with military security, have been censored? Will he send to the censors a reminder of the Government's pledge that only matters of military security, in the strict sense, are to be subject to censorship?
§ Mr. AmeryI think a broad reminder in that sense was sent out to the censors by the Commander-in-Chief. Censors, like all of us, are sometimes fallible.
§ Mr. SorensenMay we take it that anybody writing from India to this country has the right and complete opportunity to express his views about this House and about the Minister?