§ 1. Mr. Dribergasked the Secretary of State for the Colonies if he is aware of the constant disparagement of the achievements of the people of Great Britain and of His Majesty's Government indulged in by wealthy persons from the United Kingdom now resident in Bermuda, the Bahamas, Jamaica, and other islands in the West Indies; and if he will endeavour, by establishing or strengthening information offices, by the issue of bulletins containing facts about these achievements, or otherwise, to minimise the effects of such disloyalty.
§ The Under-Secretary of State for the Colonies (Mr. Rees-Williams)My right hon. Friend has not received reports of the kind referred to, but he appreciates the importance of wide publicity about the achievements of Britain in the past few years. All Colonial Governments receive material on the subject of British economic and social achievements. He has recently appointed a Regional Information Officer for the Caribbean area, whose duties include advice to the Governments concerned about the effective use and presentation of this material.
§ Mr. DribergDoes my hon. Friend realise that it is extremely difficult for officers such as that to get their information across in the face of local newspaper prejudices and other obstacles, and could he take some steps more emphatically to convey to the peoples of these Colonies the contempt felt by all decent people here for the lying propaganda of these tax-dodging émigré drones?
§ Mr. GallacherThey are Tories.