§ 12. Mr. Hurdasked the President of the Board of Trade if he will make a statement on future supplies of newsprint; and if he will say particularly what arrangements have been made to enable British newspapers to obtain Canadian newsprint.
§ 14. Commander Nobleasked the President of the Board of Trade whether he will make a statement on the recent reductions in newsprint available in this country.
15. Air Commodore Harveyasked the President of the Board of Trade if he will make a statement on the future supplies of newsprint.
Mr. H. WilsonI understand that the Newsprint Supply Company, thanks to the co-operation of the Canadian mills, has succeeded in placing contracts for the 100,000 tons of newsprint from Canada 2205 for which dollars were allocated up to the end of 1951, but that not more than 10,000 tons can be delivered this year, instead of the 25,000 tons for which we had hoped. I am advised that no further supplies are available at present even for dollars.
Apart from this, there is little change in the supply position anticipated when the House last debated newsprint. Consumption has continued to increase with circulations and this, coupled with the delay in the arrival of Canadian supplies, had led the Newsprint Rationing Committee to decide that tonnage rationing should be reintroduced as from 22nd October, to prevent a further reduction in the reserve stock.
Tonnage rationing, the allocation to each newspaper of a fixed tonnage instead of one based on varying circulations as well as paging, does not in itself mean any reduction in the size of newspapers; but it leaves it open to each newspaper to decide whether to meet any difficulties by maintaining its size or maintaining its circulation. The detailed arrangements in this case are complicated and are in the hands of the Newsprint Rationing Committee, which is still engaged in working out details; but I understand that the final allocation figures are likely to reduce current increased consumption by a small percentage. Local weekly papers will be largely exempt from this reduction.
Mr. HnrdThat is not a cheerful statement. Will the Minister do two things to enable the British newspapers to fulfil their functions properly? First, will he allow the British Newsprint Supply Company to make forward contracts with Canada beyond, 1951 to restore the confidence of the Canadians in our bona fides in business? Second, will he withdraw his requirement that British mills should export 100,000 tons of newsprint each year?
Mr. WilsonIn regard to the first part of that question, I am considering that proposal, which has been made by the Newsprint Supply Company. I hope to meet them and discuss it in the near future. In reply to the second part, I outlined the policy of His Majesty's Government in the last full Debate on this, and there is no change in that policy.
§ Mr. Oliver LytteltonCan the right hon. Gentleman be a little more specific 2206 about this? Is he not aware that the present acute supply position is largely due to the delays caused by the Government, and that the only way of getting out of the present difficulty is by deferring the date of some of our exports of British paper? Will he give an answer to that?
Mr. WilsonI am aware that the deterioration in the newsprint supply position over the last six months has been due to the very high rate of consumption, particularly of United States newspapers and their imports, not only from Canada but, to some extent, from Scandinavia. That has been the reason for the deterioration, which we fully discussed in previous Debates. Certainly if anything can be done to alleviate the present newsprint position by placing longer term contracts with Canada, we shall be prepared to give favourable consideration to it.
§ Mr. LytteltonWill something be done before the situation becomes more acute?
Mr. WilsonThe right hon. Gentleman must be well aware that owing to the very high pressure of demand on Candian imports at present, even if all the dollars in the world were made available that would not increase the imports of newsprint from Canada.
§ Mr. LytteltonWhat about the English paper?
Air Commodore HarveyIn view of the grave shortage of newsprint, will the right hon. Gentleman say why he allows magazines and periodicals, and, more particularly, children's comic papers, to have unlimited supplies? Does the right hon. Gentleman realise that the country will hold him personally responsible for the situation with which we are now faced?
Mr. Wilson—because, in the first place, the amount of newsprint—I repeat, newsprint; not other forms of paper—available to the periodicals has been strictly controlled over the past period, and now that a small reduction is inevitable or likely in the case of newspapers that same reduction will be applied also in the case of periodicals.
§ Mr. A. Edward DaviesDoes my right hon. Friend appreciate that there have been suggestions in the Press that there is a nefarious design to cut down supplies so that people cannot have the fullest information about what is going on, and will my right hon. Friend give the lie to that charge?
Mr. WilsonIf it is necessary once again to do that I will certainly do it. We have never at any time sought to use the supply of newsprint as a means of controlling newspapers—[HON. MEMBERS: "Nonsense."]—but I am sure that hon. Gentlemen on all sides will agree that with the present supply of newsprint it would still be possible to give a fuller treatment of the issues to which my hon. Friend has referred.
§ Mr. Selwyn LloydWill the President of the Board of Trade amplify what he said about the position of local weekly newspapers? He said that they would be "largely exempt." What does he mean by that?
Mr. WilsonI should, if the hon. and learned Member would agree, like notice of that question, because the actual arrangements for the rationing scheme are, of course, in the hands of the trade themselves. I have on a number of occasions, both privately and in this House, expressed what, I am sure, is the view, not only of the Government, but of hon. Members on all sides, that the weekly provincial papers should be exempt from any reductions that may be necessary, and I am waiting to hear the final views of the newspaper trade on that subject.
§ Mr. LytteltonI am sorry to be so persistent, but will the President of the Board of Trade assure the House that he will discontinue the policy of restricting imports and stimulating exports? Is he not aware that the only way out of the situation is by delaying some of our exports? Will the right hon. Gentleman answer this point?
Mr. WilsonThe right hon. Gentleman must be aware that outside the dollar area there has been no restriction on the imports of newsprint. It has been the inability to buy newsprint which the industry expected to buy from Scandinavian sources that caused the trouble. So far as exports are concerned, I have already 2208 announced that the view of the Government is to maintain exports but not to allow them to exceed 100,000 tons.
§ Mr. Emrys HughesWill my right hon. Friend bear in mind that some of the children's comic strips which have been criticised from the other side are more serious than some of the Opposition newspapers?