47. Mr. De la Béreasked the Lord President of the Council whether, having regard to the financial crisis with which this country is at present faced, and with a view to curtailing expenses, he will consider reducing the size of and decreasing the expenditure on the Central Office of Information forthwith, by retaining only such part of the organisation as relates to reference libraries and other records of public value.
Mr. De la BèreIs it not a fact that the right hon. Gentleman himself set up the Central Office of Information? Surely he is aware that it is costing nearly as much as the Ministry of Information did during the war, but has not nearly such a large staff? Is it not largely redundant?
§ Mr. MorrisonNo, I do not think the Central Office of Information is largely redundant.
§ Mr. Kenneth LindsayWill my right hon. Friend bear in mind that whatever economies are made in this Office on the home front, which may well be possible, it is the sole production unit for overseas publicity, and that is a very important matter?
§ Mr. MorrisonThat will be kept in mind, but I could not undertake, in answer to my hon. Friend's question, that economies would be considered on the home front and never on the overseas front. If economies are considered, surely they must be considered all round.