HC Deb 15 June 1948 vol 452 cc244-6
45. Mr. Gammans

asked the Lord President of the Council if he is aware that in the Home Affairs Survey issued by the Central Office of Information, of 25th May, 1948, 17½ pages are devoted to the Labour Party Conference and the Conference is advertised on the contents page in heavy black type, whilst in the issue of the survey of 7th October, 1947, only 1¼ pages are devoted to the Conservative Party Conference and the Conference is not mentioned at all on the contents page; and what is the explanation of this apparent political bias.

The Lord President of the Council (Mr. Herbert Morrison)

Yes, Sir. The explanation is simple and I am glad to give it. If the hon. Member will compare the material, including the Industrial Charter, relating to the two Party Conferences in 1947, and bear in mind that one lasts twice as long as the other, he will find they were fairly evenly treated. This year it was decided to give more extensive reports of British political events, and in consequence the 1948 Labour Party Conference, as the first to be affected by the decision, has been described in greater detail than last year's. When the time comes the hon. Member will find that this year's Conservative Party Conference will similarly be more extensively reported. I should perhaps add for the information of the House that this Survey, prepared in my view with notable objectivity, is produced solely for reference use by United Kingdom information officers abroad, though copies have always been placed in the Library and are readily supplied on request to any hon. Member.

Mr. Gammans

Does the right hon. Gentleman expect that any fair and un-biassed person will accept that explanation? Is he seriously trying to defend that 17 times as much space was given to one party compared with another, and does he still say that there is no political bias in that organisation?

Mr. Morrison

It is not true to say that 17 times as much space was given, because the Industrial Charter, which was the main business of the Conservative Party Conference, had been dealt with in a previous issue. If the two things are brought together, which is quite legitimate, it will be found that the treatment was comparable. However, I may say that the newspapers reflected a somewhat similar contrast, and we have no control over them. "The Times" gave 313¼ inches to the Conservative Party Conference of two and a half days in 1947 and 518½ inches to the Labour Party Conference of four and a half days in1948. Similarly, the "Manchester Guardian" gave respectively 203¾ and 599¾ inches.

Mr. Mikardo

Will my right hon. Friend congratulate his officers on managing to fill up a page and a quarter with the extremely thin material provided by the Conservative Party Conference?

Mr. Frank Byers

May I ask the Lord President of the Council the date on which this decision was made this year?

Mr. Morrison

I could not say the date, but it was this year.

Mr. Maclay

In the light of his first reply, will the right hon. Gentleman at least make certain that full and proper treatment is given to the conference of the Liberal National Party which will be held in Harrogate on 24th and 25th June?

Mr. Morrison

I am afraid I did not know that such a conference was proposed, but if the hon. Gentleman will let me have particulars I will do the best I can for him.