§ 23. Mr. Niall Macphersonasked the President of the Board of Trade how much of the 100,000 tons of British-made newsprint allocated to the Commonwealth in 1951 has been earmarked for Malaya.
Mr. H. WilsonOne thousand, eight hundred tons of British newsprint have been allocated for export to Malaya and Singapore in 1951.
§ Mr. MacphersonIn view of the contribution that newspapers in Malaya are making to the solution of the emergency there, and also of the difficulty they are experiencing in getting newsprint at any price, will the Minister consider at least doubling the supply? Further, will he receive a deputation on the subject?
Mr. WilsonThe hon. Gentleman will realise the difficulty which I have in this connection, the more so when I am under strong pressure to reduce exports of newsprint from this country.
§ Mr. Lennox-BoydRemembering that Malaya is the only part of the British Empire now at war, and realising the urgent need for active propaganda by Press and other means, will not the Minister look once more at the question of this hopelessly inadequate allocation?
Mr. WilsonI am well aware of the need for newsprint in Malaya. We are doing what we can to help them. It might help if the hon. Gentleman would advise his right hon. Friend the Member for Aldershot (Mr. Lyttelton) to stop asking for a reduction of exports from this country.
§ 24. Mr. N. Macphersonasked the President of the Board of Trade on what 1300 grounds he has allotted to the Colonies less than 6 per cent. of the total 1951 allocation to the Commonwealth of newsprint manufactured in the United Kingdom.
Mr. H. WilsonThe pattern of our newsprint exports follows, with some modifications, the long-term contracts made by United Kingdom mills, which, in turn, reflect our traditional pattern of trade.
§ Mr. MacphersonDoes not the Minister realise that the action taken to cut down imports from dollar countries entirely alters the situation? Does he really think that such a very small proportion is an equitable one, having in mind the comparison of population between the Colonies and the Dominions?
Mr. WilsonWe shall certainly do anything we can to help the Colonies. I think that many of their difficulties arise from the fact that they are unable to buy newsprint for which dollars have been allocated in the dollar area.
§ Mr. HarrisonWhen considering the allocation of newsprint to the Colonies, will my right hon. Friend also take into account the fact that the newspapers in Malaya are considerably bigger than the newspapers in this country?
§ 25. Mr. Marloweasked the President of the Board of Trade whether he will convene a conference of representatives from the Dominions and the United States of America to investigate and consider the best means of ensuring an equitable distribution of newsprint so as to ensure a minimum of an eight page daily newspaper in this country.
Mr. H. WilsonI have had this idea in mind for some time, but should prefer to consider it when the supply position for next year is somewhat clearer.
§ Mr. MarloweDoes not the right hon. Gentleman realise that the mistake he has always made in the past has been in not looking far enough ahead? Is not he aware that his action in causing the cancellation of the Canadian contract drove the newsprint into the American market; and, having got the newspapers into this mess, has he not some responsibility to get them out of it?
Mr. WilsonThree, if not four, times this year we have extended our arrange- 1301 ment with Canada still further ahead at the request of the Newsprint Supply Company. On each occasion they said that if we would do that it would solve the problem.