HC Deb 18 December 1947 vol 445 cc1855-6
34. Mr. Geoffrey Cooper

asked the President of the Board of Trade what facilities are now being granted by his Department for the supply of paper for the publishing of new magazines started since 1945, other than those which are permitted a maximum of 8 cwt. per month.

Mr. H. Wilson

Under the Control of Paper, No. 70 Order, no new periodical or newspaper may be published if it uses more than 8 cwt. of paper in four months, except under licence. Licences are only granted in very exceptional cases, of which there have been six in the last 12 months.

Mr. Cooper

Will my right hon. Friend state what these six are? Can he reconcile the information he has just given with the advertisement in the Press of the magazine "Future," started, I understand, since 1945, which is advertising with a view to obtaining subscribers? Is a magazine justified in advertising for new subscribers, when it has an allocation of paper of only 8 cwt. a month?

Mr. Wilson

I would like to have notice of the second part of that supplementary question. The six magazines are, respectively, "Instructional Screen," "Christian Renewal," "Annals of the Royal College of Surgeons," "International Union of Mineworkers Bulletin," "Coal," and "Voice of the Overseas Chinese."

Dr. Stephen Taylor

Is my right hon. Friend aware that the magazine "Future" is printed in Czechoslovakia, imported into this country, and re-exported, largely for dollars?

Mr. Pickthorn

Does the right hon. Gentleman think that paper might be saved by amalgamating these publications?