HC Deb 17 February 1947 vol 433 cc786-7
45. Mr. Driberg

asked the Prime Minister if he will consider moving for the appointment of a small Select Committee to draw up a list of weekly periodicals, generally recognised as leading organs of political comment, which should, in the national interest, be exempted from the forthcoming suspension of publication.

The Lord Privy Seal (Mr. Arthur Greenwood)

I have been asked to reply. No, Sir. The sacrifice voluntarily accepted by the periodicals is of a severity unprecedented in their history and I would not think it fair that the hardship should be other than equally shared.

Mr. Driberg

Can my right hon. Friend say whether, when the agreement was made, the distinction between commercial and non-commercial periodicals was borne in mind? Is he aware that such papers as the "Spectator" and the "Economist" would gladly appear without any advertisements at all, in greatly attenuated form?

Mr. Greenwood

I understand that is so, but the association concerned, the Periodical Proprietors Association and the Newsprint Supply Association, in the discussions, did come to the conclusion that they should suspend publication as from today for the fortnight, with the exception of daily and Sunday papers, and so on. I was not present at the discussion but I gather that the organisation which represents all these periodicals agreed in a very public spirited manner to the suspension of issue for the time being. Quite clearly they were of opinion—an opinion which I share—that if some had to do it, all had to do it. [Hon. MEMBERS: "Hear, hear"] I do not see how we can depart from that. It may well be that some of these newspapers might have said voluntarily, "Well, we could do a short truncated edition," but clearly this must apply to all of them.

Mr. Skeffington-Lodge

Is the right hon. Gentleman aware that discrimination in favour of certain publications at the expense of other types of journal, which is sought by various hon. Members of this House, is wholly deplorable?

Mr. Hopkin Morris

Does the Minister realise that what he has described as an "unprecedented hardship" is an unprecedented blow at the formation of serious and enlightened opinion in this country?

Mr. Greenwood

I would not have thought that serious and enlightened opinion would suffer by having a fortnight in which to think for itself.

Mr. Henry Strauss

When the right hon. Gentleman says that this agreement was made on behalf of all these papers, is he aware that the "Economist" was not a party to this agreement in any shape or form?

Mr. Greenwood

I was not aware of that. I thought it was a generally understood acceptance of a proposal which had been put up by the Government and I gathered that the association concerned was widely representative of all periodicals.

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