30. Mr. Philips Priceasked the Secretary of State for the Colonies what consultations have taken place with France, Holland, Belgium and Portugal during the past five years with regard to developing co-operation for the provision of adequate information and propaganda about the responsibilities and policies of colonial Powers; and whether, in view of the need for further action in this field, he will consider the desirability of initiating a conference on this subject in the near future.
§ Mr. J. GriffithsContacts have been established between officials of our 1173 colonial information services and those of France and Belgium and there is useful liaison and a regular exchange of material between public relations departments in various territories. The provision of information about its policies is essentially a matter for individual action by each country concerned. I doubt whether a conference on this subject would be useful. In other fields, such as economic, social and technical matters generally, there is great scope for co-operation between the colonial Powers in furthering the interests of the peoples for whom they are responsible. Machinery exists for close collaboration in such matters, for example, the Caribbean Commission, the South Pacific Commission, The Commission for Technical Co-operation in Africa, South of the Sahara, and the Scientific Council for Africa, South of the Sahara.
Mr. PriceHave we any relations with the Portuguese authorities and might not friction sometimes arise between us and them on small matters?
§ Mr. GriffithsThere is contact in the discussions on the Commissions to which I have referred in my answer.
§ Mr. Lennox-BoydWould it not have been of more value if a Question in these terms had come from the right hon. Gentleman's side five years ago, before the dissolution of the Dutch Empire in the East?