HC Deb 19 May 1947 vol 437 cc1989-90
22. Dr. Haden Guest

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether he is aware of the long delay which occurs between the date of publication of reports and proceedings of U.N.O. organisations in the U.S.A. and their being made generally available to Members of Parliament and the Press in this country; and whether he will arrange for an adequate supply of these essential documents to be made available in this country immediately on publication.

Mr. Mayhew

A copy of every unrestricted United Nations' document is placed in the Library of the House as soon as it is received in this country. The delay in transmitting documents by air from New York has been reduced to a minimum, although there is at times a gap between a meeting at United Nations Headquarters and the issue of documents by the United Nations Secretariat. For reasons of expense it is not possible to carry very large quantities of documents across the Atlantic by air, and my right hon. Friend regrets that he cannot therefore undertake to supply documents for wide and immediate distribution.

Dr. Guest

Is my hon. Friend aware that the delay extends sometimes to six months; that the Food and Agriculture Organisation Report on the loan to Greece, which is of great interest, has been six months on the way; and that although the report of the Military Staff Committee of the Security Council—which I suppose is a document of worldwide importance—has been published for over a fortnight, there is only one copy in the Library? Does not my hon. Friend think that one copy in the Library is inadequate to supply all Members of Parliament and the Press?

Mr. Mayhew

Very often the delay is not in the transmission of documents here but between the meetings of the United Nations and the publication of the documents by the Secretariat. On the other hand, I undertake to look into the cases which the hon. Member has mentioned to see if anything can be done.

Major Bruce

Would my hon. Friend say what he means by "unrestricted documents"?

Mr. Mayhew

There are a very few documents of the United Nations which the Secretariat send restrictedly to the bodies of the United Nations concerned with these documents.

Major Bruce

Will my hon. Friend say whether such a practice of the United Nations Secretariat meets with the approval of His Majesty's Government?

Mr. Mayhew

I think it is a reasonable routine matter to send certain classes of documents to bodies which are dealing with the particular subject, but I should not like to commit myself to that without notice.

Mr. Eden

Can we have a little enlightenment on this matter? Does the Under-Secretary mean "restricted" because they are regarded as being of too secret a character for others to be informed, or does it mean that others are not likely to be interested in them?

Mr. Mayhew

I think it means documents peculiarly appropriate to certain bodies of the United Nations to which they are being sent. As I say, I should not like to commit myself without notice.

Dr. Guest

In view of the very unsatisfactory state of affairs revealed by this Question, will my hon. Friend make arrangements to have the publications reproduced and published by the Stationery Office? It would not be a costly business, and it would add very much to the knowledge available to the House of Commons.

Commander Noble

Is not the Under-Secretary aware that the word "restricted" is merely one point in the scale of which "top secret" is the highest?