HC Deb 25 May 1949 vol 465 c1243
21. Mr. Platts-Mills

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs what recent information has been given by his Department to the British Broadcasting Corporation to enable them to prepare their Russian programmes in the national interest.

Mr. Mayhew

The Foreign Office give the British Broadcasting Corporation any information regarding conditions in, and the policy of His Majesty's Government towards, the Soviet Union that would appear helpful to them in preparing their broadcasts in Russian.

Mr. Platts-Mills

Was it really necessary, just at the moment when the peoples of the world, longing for four-Power unity, were looking to Paris so hopefully, to intensify this radio warfare against the Soviet Union?

Mr. Mayhew

I should have thought four-Power unity would be helped by allowing the Russian people to know the truth about world affairs.

Mr. Skeffington-Lodge

In the interests of truth, will my right hon. Friend try to arrange for the B.B.C. to broadcast to the Russian people a denial of the assertions made recently in a Russian paper to the effect that Londoners go out with guns and traps at the week-ends into the suburbs to shoot and kill squirrels so as to appease their hunger?